


Hogwarts Mystery Imagines/ One-shots

by Necessary_Chaos



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry potter Hogwarts mystery
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/F, F/M, One Shot Collection, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-05-18 15:33:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19337410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Necessary_Chaos/pseuds/Necessary_Chaos
Summary: Sometimes a flick of inspiration is all you need to create a small, yet tender love story. This book will contain those that I come up with regarding that fascinating game, with its charming characters that are owed some loveI will mainly be writing for the female ones like Penny Haywood, Merula Snyde, and Tulip Karasu. Feel free to leave any suggestions for a scenario you'd like to see!





	1. Drunken mess (Penny Haywood)

 

 The holidays, a joyful season where no room for evil, sadness or even anger existed. A time to spend with those you love and bond with them

 

 

...The thing is, I'm not exactly in good terms with my parents, mainly due to what happened to Jacob, my brother

 

His disappearance left them not sad or angry, but disappointed, and everything I do is often met with criticism

 

Bloody hell, I would almost say that I like Snape more than those two, almost

 

So yes, I chose not to go back home and instead, remain here, in Hogwarts warm embrace. Fortunately for me, I'm not alone

 

Penny Haywood, my friend, and _perhaps_ crush and the school's popular girl also chose to stay behind, probably because of her studies, I honestly didn't ask. She didn't seem to be up for a talk

 

So what I did instead was to take her to Hogsmeade, to chat and relax in the smoky, but welcoming pub my friends and I enjoy so much, The Three Broomsticks

 

After a few rounds of Butterbeer and cherry syrup, my blonde friend seemed to be feeling much better than before

 

Currently, we were walking our way back to Hogwarts before the curfew was in effect

 

"You're talking your time with the snow, Penny"

 

I pointed out joking while I glanced back at her, seeing as her steps had no need to be fast at all, despite us being out at what could very well be the night itself

 

"It's not like we get snow around here every day, you know?"

 

Her gentle, warm voice provided me a justification that made me chuckle. She was right though, sometimes taking the time to appreciate things like that helped quite a bit

 

"Indeed, especially when it's not trying to kill us"

 

I tried to add a little something. We had recently discovered the Ice Vault after all but chose to stop the investigation until we returned for our second year

 

Then she looked at me, with a sympathetic smile on her face

 

"That was ice, Y/N"

 

 

...Of course I know the difference, I was just testing her...yeah, that's it

 

'Tomato, tomatoe"

 

While I answered with the same joking tone, my words did earn a playful smile from Penny as well as one of the cutest giggled my ears had ever heard

 

"Someone had a tad too much butterbeer"

 

I couldn't even deny that, so we both ended up sharing a laugh at this. Once it gently died down, Penny's eyes widened slightly, I knew that look

 

She had an idea, and judging by the smile that accompanied it, it was mischievous

 

"Hey Y/N? What do you say to a snowball fight?"

 

Her idea took me by surprise. Not that it was bad, but I just hadn't thought of it before

 

"Right now?"

 

She nodded eagerly, already preparing a snowball herself

 

"Or is the Ravenclaw too afraid to fight?"

 

Her attempt to imitate Merula's usual taunts made me laugh so hard, I couldn't take Penny seriously at all. I swear, she always knows how to make me smile

 

"Alright, then, why don't we add a little punishment for the loser?" I suggested to spice things up, we were competitive enough as it was

 

"Yes! The loser gets to carry the winner all the way to Hogwarts"

 

That also surprised me. That punishment wasn't thought for her, not at all

 

So that tells me, Penny was going all out on this one. I soon found myself grinning at the idea, not backing down myself

 

"My, someone's confident"

 

This time I didn't get an answer, just her winking at me

 

Needless to say, slightly drunk Penny is not what I'm used to, but it could actually turn out to be really fun

 

And besides, we were already in a snowy place so...

 

"Alright, we'll fight. I'll even let you shoot fi-AGHH!"

 

I failed to finish the sentence as I felt a chilling sphere of ice hitting my face. It hurt, but not nearly as much as an intentional Flipendo would

 

"So that is how it is going to be" I pretended anger, but I was obviously playing around, joining the spirit of the game

 

I quickly got the snow off my face and looked around for the blonde only to see her already throwing another snowball at me. I managed to duck just in time and without even

thinking, I put my hands on the snow to form my own projectile

 

When I went back up to take aim, I was hit yet again, this time in the chest. She was good

 

"You're falling behind, Y/N!" She taunted, proud she hit me yet again

 

"Just you wait"

 

And with that, I threw the snowball and she barely managed to dodge it. I took the time to make another one and threw it the same way, only for Penny to do exactly the same

and who would've guessed? Our projectiles hit each other

 

We were impressed by this, but that was soon replaced with a burning desire to win

 

I managed to hit Penny in the stomach, quite carefully as to not actually hurt her, but hearing her yelp proved to be just so satisfactory I ended up laughing

 

"I got you this time, Haywood!"

 

I only called her by her surname when we were competing, like right now. She was surprised at first but being as adaptive as she was, Penny just laughed it off and grew a smirk as she prepared not one, but two snowballs

 

"Oh, you're going to get it now, blue!"

 

She also had a nickname for me, this one referring to the color of the house I was sorted in

 

My thoughts were quickly interrupted by another snowball to the face, throwing me off balance and surely making me drop my own snowball to recover

 

However, before I could even try, another pair were thrown to my chest and made me trip shortly after

 

The only thing I heard was laughter, from both her and me. I couldn't even be mad at her for going full commando on me

 

By the time I got rid of the snow, I was met with Penny already there, looking down at me, holding a snowball in her hands, grinning

 

"Guess I win, then"

 

"You wish-"

 

Again, interrupted by snowball hitting me, although this one was much softer than the others... mainly because she just dropped it on my chest from quite a short distance

 

"Alright alright, I'm wise enough to recognize my defeat"

 

I quickly swept the snow again and got back on my feet. It wasn't all that fun to lose, but compared to the duel itself, breathtaking would be the right word to describe it

 

"We should do this again some other time"

 

She nodded, finding herself too lost for words but regaining her breath just like me, we had indeed, given it our all to this duel

 

That's when we noticed how dark it had gotten, the stars decorated the sky without failure, the wind also explained to us just how much time had we spent outside the castle

 

"We should head back inside, don't want you to lose points because of me"

 

Penny was about to answer that when she realized that while I too lost a few points, I had practically figured out a way to gain them back, so prioritizing her came as no surprise to us

 

"Indeed...wait, you lost" Her attitude changed back to her playful self upon remembering our words before the snowball fight

 

"So?...oh, damnit"

 

And that's when I too, remembered what had I agreed to. My pride would be my own worst enemy sometimes

 

"Fine, a deal is a deal, and I'm a man of my word"

 

Penny had no time to react to my comment as I held her gently and actually managed to lift her. I was getting ready to give her a piggyback ride back home

 

She yelped, not expecting my actions on the slightest and honestly I wasn't either, guess I did drink more than enough butterbeer

 

"Y-Y/N! What are you doing!?" She was still surprised, but there was no hint of her disliking it, so I proceeded

 

"Doing my part, now hold tight"

 

Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around my neck to secure herself, laughing nervously at this

 

"You know you don't actually have to do this, right?"

 

"I know, but I want to"

 

I stated without giving much thought into it, the way I said it took Penny back, I swear if we had more lightning I could've seen her blush

 

Or maybe it was my imagination, who knows. Either way, we parted back to our school and provisional home

 

It took her a couple of minutes, but the blonde Hufflepuff eventually got used to the idea of me giving her a ride back home without her blushing so much

 

Turns out Penny was surprisingly light, so I was able to take her back to the castle. She would sometimes tighten her grip on me without knowing it

 

Hell, we even had a normal conversation, ignoring the awkward situation I had put is in. I mean, Imagine seeing two students arriving fashionably late to their school, with one of them giving a piggyback ride to the other

 

Yes, not the usual Hogwarts kind of odd

 

 

...But it hardly mattered

 

It was one of the things one does without pondering it for hours, no, this came not from the mind, but maybe, from the heart itself

 

Soon enough we made it to Hogwarts, sneaking our way into the Entrance Hall, then walked up the stairs together as she asked me to put her down

 

When we reached the top, light snuck in, giving us a clear view of each other under the filtered moonlight

 

Normally, this place would still have quite a few students, but at this time, that was hardly the case, so we were effectively alone together

 

"I hadn't had that much fun in a long time"

 

She said to me with eyes heard to decipher. Was it gratitude? sadness? What could be hiding behind them?

 

I don't know, but it a became so clear the moment she embraced me, resting her forehead on my surprised shoulder

 

"Thank you, Y/N. For being there for me"

 

She muttered, a voice so soft it felt like it was going to break and yet, her words were so strong, so meaningful

 

The least I could do was hug her back, tenderly whispering in her ear

 

"I'll always be there for you, Penny. Always"

 

Did...did I seriously just said that? My mind had long lost control, it could only be guessed that my heart was pulling the strings, as those words would normally take me so long

to say, let alone process

 

Just as fear was about to strike, Penny swiftly removed it by tightening her embrace. I could feel she was taking off a great weight from her shoulders, so I allowed her to continue

 

Not that I opposed a hug from her anyway, it was Penny Haywood, after all

 

After a couple of seconds, she let go of me just enough to let me see her face. Her bright eyes stealing all the attention and keeping it to themselves, her smile showing genuine happiness, so warm

 

I swear, I could look at her all day and never get tired of it

 

Penny chuckled and gave me a quick peck on the cheek before separating herself from me

 

"See you tomorrow, Y/N. Have a wonderful sleep"

 

She said in her usual warm, kind way as she gave me one final smile and parted ways with me

 

Of course, I could hardly believe what had just happened. It was a quick peck, but it was hers. If that wasn't the best I had experienced in the whole month, I don't know what was

 

 

As the night kept going, so had I and with much stealth as possible, I went to my tower, particularly trying to enter Ravenclaw's dormitory so I could get some well-deserved rest

 

I had to go up a few stairs and avoid that demon cat, Ms. Norris that always patrols the halls searching for trouble like if it were mice

 

Somehow, I pulled it off and found myself back on my bed, staring at the ground and when I realized, I had my hand on my check, the same place where I got a kiss

 

This day started off stormy, just to end on a high note. It's a lot to take in, but one thing is for certain

 

 

This day would go down my history as one of the most memorable, one way or another


	2. Not a curse (Penny Hawyood)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of the small Penny story I'm making!
> 
>  
> 
> After having fun in the snow, you now face an old enemy for Penny's health... the flu

"Hello, Y/N! How is my favorite Ravenclaw doing today?"

 

I recognized that voice, that cute and friendly sound. Penny Haywood chose to sit next to me in the Great Hall for a meal

Normally, I would be more than glad to share it with her, but...not today

"Hi, Penny" Was all I could bring myself to say

Being as perceptive as she was, Penny noticed I was not in my greatest day in a matter of seconds. She had leaned closer, her eyes were fixed in me, she tilted her head to get to see my face better since I was looking down

"Y/N, what happened?" This time her voice sounded different, vulnerable

Another reason to not hide this from her

"I...I'm starting to believe what Merula said, about me being cursed"

The blonde gasped, her worry only getting worse, if I knew her better I'd say that she was hurt

"Why would you think that?"

That's when I mustered the courage to look at her, with sadness and guilt written all over my face

"When we discovered the vault, Rowan was so eager to unravel a mystery at Hogwarts, but as soon as we tried, she got blasted away into unconsciousness"

"Yes, I remember, I was at the hospital wing with you that day"

While the memory was not pleasant at all for her either, Penny was able to put that aside and just listened to me

"I wish that was the end of it, but it wasn't"

"Does this has to do with your training with Bill Weasley?"

She was quick to connect the dots, also the rumors she heard made it easier. I nodded just to confirm her theory

"We made some progress that time"

Ashamed, I looked away from her just a bit while I continued

" That being until Bill also got hit by an energy-draining spell. It wasn't as bad as Rowan's case, but it happened again"

A sighed followed my statement, by telling her this I would be exposed to her, but we wouldn't be having this conversation if I didn't I trust her

"The thing is, Penny, I'm scared"

She was taken back by this. Not shook beyond belief, but those words would leave a mark

"Take me with you, we already survived that once, we can deal with it together"

Now I was the one that was shaken to the very core. That suggestion made me think of my worst fear at the moment, having someone else hurt because of my

And someone I fancy? That was not even a question

"NO!"

I practically yelled at this, my gaze returning to her in such a violent way. She was startled by this, but I think even some of our classmates heard us

The last thing I needed was another drama based on rumors, so I tried my best to calm down, let alone explain my behavior to the blonde

"I-I'm sorry, it's just that... I mean, it's too dangerous" That sentence was formed so badly, she saw right through it

"Y/N..." That tone, sweet, yet asking for the truth

I guess I do owe it to her

I looked at her again, deciding to explain myself to her, but at the same time, trying to give her some hints as to why I couldn't allow her of all people to get hurt

"I already got two people hurt, I don't want to add another one to that list"

She was taking this well, so I decided to continue with the core reason for my decision

"And you? I could never forgive myself if something happened to you..."

Out of pure instinct, my gaze returned to the table, avoiding eye contact with her, fearing she would take it the wrong way, or not even take it at all was looking back down

But fortunately for me, Penny would never cease to amaze me, the next thing I knew she was grabbing my hand, the sudden touch of her soft, small hand startled me at first

A bit confused by this, my eyes met hers, searching for answers this time, and what I found, was a smile

"Y/N, you've done so much for your friends and it's only been a year and a slice of another. Helping you with this is the least I can do"

The Hufflepuff stopped talking briefly, an idea had appeared to her and by the looks of it, she was willing to share it

"Listen, I can take care of myself, we both know that, maybe we can bring the gang to overwhelm the vault and together, we'll be able to beat it. After training, of course"

This was so much worse. What if everyone got hurt by my fault? But...then again...we are anything but weak when we worked together. I don't know, I had to think this through

"And if anything were to happen, I swear to you, we'll be there for you"

I felt Penny squeeze my hand gently, I swear ai could feel my face getting warmer by this gesture, and the confident way she behaved only made the next part so heartwarming

 

"... _I'll_ be there for you"

 

 

After that meaningful conversation, I went to visit Bill at the hospital wing and he told me a similar thing, but that I should be the one helping the gang to prepare themselves, and so I did

I taught Ben a new potion and a couple of spells to Rowan and Penny. However, emergency struck Hogwarts and we were forced to divide, just like I feared

Penny and Bill were with me, but there was just so much courage to their presence, they wanted this as much as I did and together, we stopped the ice from taking over Hogwarts and not only that, but we found what would become our next clue to finding the rest of the Vault and subsequently, my brother

This adventure proved to me that I didn't have to protect my friends, or suffer for them, but fight by their side just like they were willing to do for me

We had become a team, beyond houses or years

The holidays came shortly after, hard to believe I was finishing my second year at Hogwarts, but I took the chance and stayed at the institution, it would also allow me to get some peace and quiet after all this bloody mess

I wasn't the only one with this mentality, Penny herself was the only one of our group that chose to stay behind as well

And while I received owls from Bill, Ben, and Rowan, I also got to spend some time alone with the girl I was growing so fond of

But there was something about her at first as if she was saddened by something or just overthinking things. Believe me, I know about overthinking

So what did I do? I made both of us a favor and actually took Penny out to drink something together at Hogsmeade. I heard they served some good drinks, and I heard right

You could say I had quite the date with her. A few rounds of butterbeer, an epic snowball fight and I even got to carry her back to Hogwarts, there was so much about it that would fondly remain in my memory

And the best part about it, it happened yesterday, so the memories were still fresh!

As for today, I was currently in the hospital wing myself, helping Madam Pomfrey to treat some of the students that were unfortunate enough to become injured in this joyous time

And may I say, they were a lot. It took a good three hours to get through them, I only felt progress had been made when I heard the nurse's voice calling me

"That would be all for today, I can take care of the rest"

I was adjusting a girl's pillow for her to rest when I looked back at the woman

"Are you sure, Madam Pomfrey?"

She just smiled at me, nodding with that motherly gaze of hers

"Yes, thank you kindly for your assistance. Please enjoy the rest of your day"

I thanked her before I took my leave, I would tell her to enjoy the rest of her day as well but honestly, I don't know when she gets to rest if she does at all

But I didn't get to put too much thought into it since I felt my stomach demanding to be fed, and well, I didn't eat breakfast just yet

Which reminded me, I was supposed to join a certain someone for breakfast

I entered the Great Hall and served myself something to continue the day. While I saw a few familiar faces, none of them was precisely the one I was looking for

In fact, I wonder where could she be at this hour? I certainly hope she did not eat without me

"Everything alright, Y/N?"

A small, cute voice made me snap out of it. It belonged to Chiara herself

Chiara was a Hufflepuff girl with short, silver hair that helped me deal with a pack of werewolves in Hallowe'en

"Oh, hello Chiara. Everything is alright, why are you asking?"

"Well, you've been standing in the entrance for a few minutes without doing anything, so It would be safe to say that something's in your mind"

I looked around to confirm that I hadn't even entered the place yet, good thing I wasn't standing in the way, or that there weren't as many students around to notice

Bloody hell, I have to stop going in too deep in my own thoughts

"I'm looking for Penny, we were supposed to eat breakfast together. Have you seen her?"

She put her hand on her chin, looking back at the hall for clues, but her shaking her head was answering enough

"I'm afraid not, I haven't seen her at all today, and we're from the same house"

That was hardly comforting, but I now had a new task for the day

"I guess I should go find her, thanks Chiara"

While I was about to leave the place, I was suddenly stopped by the girl, who held my wrist to keep me there

"Wait, you haven't eaten anything yet, have you? We wouldn't want you to pass out in the middle of the corridor"

I...I hadn't thought of that, she was right, I needed to eat something quick before I started my search for Penny

"You're right, Chiara, I'll take a quick bite before I'll do anything else"

She smiled once she heard that, feeling relieved that I had not neglected my own vital needs for my friends...again

"Thank you, Y/N. Why don't we sit together? I can help you look for Penny when we're done"

"Good idea, cheers"

And so we began to eat. I chose something small for the day, enough to let me keep going for a while. However the warmth of the place, the cheerful ambiance made me relax as soon as I took a bit off my sandwich, so chatting was inevitable

Chiara asked me what was my reason for remaining in school grounds. Telling her that I wanted to relax and also that I was assisting Madam Pomfrey seemed to be enough of an answer for her

When I asked what her reasons were, they were as simple as to help Hagrid take care of the creatures during the winter, this girl had a way with animals, it just made sense she would do something like that

A couple of minutes later, we finished our meal together and now with my friend's help, we could now focus on the Erumpent in the room, finding Penny

"Alright, let's begin with our search. I suggest we enter Hufflepuff's common room"

That suggestion, while smart, was quite bold. It was strictly forbidden to enter another house's common room. I should know, that time sneaking into Gryffindor's is still a thrilling memory

...But I don't know if that rule counts with the help of another Hufflepuff

"Are you sure we can do that? I mean, of course, you can, but I'm not sure I do"

I decided to express my concern to her. While Chiara was not exactly a criminal mastermind like I had to be to orchestrate our plans, she had a charming confidence to make up for it

"No, but Hogwarts is hardly as crowded, getting in should not be a problem"

...huh, I always forget how lonesome this place is at the time

"Fair enough"

Without further do, we ventured back into the halls, stairs and whatnot to find our common friend, asking a few people along the way and indeed, all seemed to indicate that she was still in there

After evading a prefect, Chiara guided me into their house's common room. They had such an interesting way to access it, with a cute musical riddle, as opposed to our door that would straight up ask us one

The interior was charming, and not in the "all houses are special" kind of way, but this place was so welcoming to everyone that stepped in, it even had some special plants that could talk. Chiara had to convince them that I was there to help Penny

Who would have guessed it? Even plants like Penny Haywood

Upon investigating the place, I was failing to find the blonde, until I heard a grunt coming from a room nearby. Chiara heard it as well and motioned me to follow her

We entered the seemingly empty room, only to find a blonde head still on the bed, bugger

"Penny?..." I said practically breathless, almost whispering

The sound of my voice made her turn around, still in her blankets and clearly not ready for the day. She was not doing well at all, but when she saw me, she still smiled

"W-Why hello...Y/N"

"What happened?" The silver-haired girl took a step closer, as worried as I was to find our always presentable friend in such a state

She looked fatigued, her voice sounded sore, nose was runny even a cough would leave her from time to time

"I d-don't know... woke up...like this.."

"What do we do, Y/N?"

Chiara looked at me looking for answers, and fortunately for us, I think I had one

"Hold on, let me check something"

I walked closer to Penny and gently placed my hand on her forehead, it was feverish. The blonde was about to say something until I stopped her lips with a finger softly blocking them

"Don't, just leave it to me, alright? I'll put you back together in a second's notice"

I leaned closer and gave her a quick peck on her forehead before going back up and...wait, what?

Where did that kiss come from? I-I mean it was more of a nurturing thing but still, what just-

"So, what do you think happened to her?"

The other Hufflepuff asked, but gasped right away before I could talk

"Do you think she's cursed!?"

It was so easy to jump into conclusions in this place, but I was fairly certain that it was not the case, no. I had seen these symptoms before, back when I was a child

 

"Not in the slightest. What Penny has is the flu"

"...The what?"

"It's an illness that while not lethal, it can make you feel all bleary, your body feels annoyingly sore and all you can do is rest"

Then I looked back at Penny

"Are you feeling like that, Penny?"

With squinted eyes, she just nodded. That was all I needed to get back to work

"Then I know exactly what to do. I'll be in the potions classroom"

"And I'll do my best to keep her stable...I guess?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. I had to reassure them that the situation was far from life-ending and that it could be treated with certain precautions, which I told Chiara, wouldn't want to get her sick as well

Now I was on my way to brew the strangest thing I ever created in a cauldron...a chicken soup


	3. It's always you (Penny Hawyood)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The finale for this wholesome little series. Do let me know if you wish to see something with Merula, tulip or another scenario with the lovely Penny Haywood!

The train had stopped moving, I had arrived at my destination, Hogsmeade. Apparently, Hogwarts was sometimes too exotic for its own good, I was still missing some of the ingredients for the soup I needed, so I asked Chiara to stay behind and take care of our mutual friend while I settled this down

I stepped down and headed into the cold, but cozy streets of this village. To Think Penny and I were just yesterday, to stop right in front of Hogwarts for a snow fight...come to think of it, that little adventure of ours was the reason I was here again in such short notice 

Once in Hogsmeade, I took out a small note, detailing the ingredients I still needed for-

"Y/N! WATCH OUT!!"

I quickly looked away from my note and managed to duck just in time for a fanged frisbee to fail in decapitating me, just my luck. I then studied where it came from, and sure enough, I found a girl with short, spiky pink hair.

She was Nymphadora Tonks, a prankster, and friend I did near the end of our second year, quite an interesting addition to Hufflepuff if you ask me. Wait, how come every friendly face I've found so far is a Hufflepuff? Note to self, investigate later

"I'm so sorry, Y/N! I didn't see you just standing there! I knew that testing that frisbee out in the open wouldn't be much of a good idea"

She ran to me and helped me up while explaining herself. I found it hard to be mad at her, at least she warned me this time

"Well, I wouldn't exactly describe Hogsmeade as "out in the open", you know?" 

"Huh...another point to you"

I could tell she had not quite thought about it that way, perhaps she was so anxious to test her new contraption that she forgot about the safety of everybody else...why does that sound familiar?

"Anyway, what brings you to Hogsmeade?"

Her tone softens as she makes that question, and sure enough, caught my attention again

"I'm looking for some ingredients, it's important"

I handed her the note I was reading before our...err...encounter, she came up with an idea surprisingly quick

"Say no more, I think I saw a place on my way here, c' mon!"

Tonks started to lead the way without even asking me, she just threw herself to help me. I swear I'm ridiculously lucky to have friends like these sometimes

And so, we went deeper into the streets of the village and under Tonk's guidance, we found a place called "Dogweed and Deathcap", not exactly what I was looking for, but it would have to do

We approached the building, I held the door open for my friend, who thanked me with a smile before we both got in. The man working there greeted us and asked if we were looking for something in particular, to which I answered by explaining the ingredients I needed for my...potion, yes, it would be best to call it like that for the moment

Fortunately enough, they had the components and pointed us to the direction of where they were placed. This was going better than I thought, yet I could not feel my concern for Penny get any weaker if anything I was cursing myself for taking so long

"Wotcher, Y/N! I've never seen you so focused before! This potion must be quite important to you"

She was definitely referring to the notable absence of jokes or comments on my behalf, truth to be told, I could hardly think of any at the moment

"As a matter of fact, it is" I answered while placing the things on the counter, waiting for the 

employee to charge me what was needed

There was silence after that, I handed the money and we took our leave, however, as soon as we left the store, I heard my companion's voice yet again

"Oi, Y/N, can I ask you something?"

We didn't stop walking since time was of the essence, but she certainly had my attention

"Go ahead" 

"I'm not Snape to know every potion in existence, but I don't think that what we gathered were ingredients for a potion..."

Bugger, she was on to me

"...Is it for Penny?"

Out of pure surprise, I stopped walking to look at her, miserably failing to mask my surprise

"How do you know?"

A smirk decored her face for a couple of seconds, proud she deduced my schemes

"Word is she might have had too much fun yesterday and got sick. If anyone would be to brew her something to feel better, it would be you, Y/N"

I couldn't help but smile myself at this, Tonks was indeed full of surprises

"Since when did you become so good at deduction?"

"Nope, I just know my friends"

We shared a laugh after that statement, there was the Tonks I knew

"All too well, I might add"

While we were having fun at the moment, I still had a task, and we continued to walk back to the train station

"C' mon, I'll explain it to you on the way back"

We paid for passage and now on board of the Hogwarts Express, we started our journey back. In the meantime, I kept my word and told my prankster friend about my shared adventure with Penny the day before

...Keeping out some personal details, of course

"...That was quite the story, no wonder why Penny talks so greatly about you, Y/N"

Now that statement caught me off guard, I normally hated the attention, but coming from her? That was another story entirely

"She does?"

She couldn't help but chuckle at this, I might have sounded just as confused as a first year

"You should know by now. So, then your ingredients, what are they for?"

I could feel myself getting slightly more serious at this question, but not enough to kill the already happy mood Tonks set with me

"I'm going to trust you this small detail, Tonks. I owe you that after helping me today"

"It was nothing, Y/N, but I appreciate it" 

She smiled kindly at me, but I just nodded before I prepared my exposition about the importance of this particular dish regarding Penny and a few more extra facts

"You see, back when I was a kid, my brother Jacob and I would sometimes fall sick because we wouldn't listen to mum's advice, who would have guessed that playing under the rain or the snow could get you sick? We certainly didn't, or didn't care enough to stop"

I heard her chuckle at this part, I found it quite charming myself, reliving those moments of my childhood was always a pleasure

"So every time we felt under the weather, she would make this special dish, chicken soup to help fight the symptoms and cheer us up in the process, you can't go wrong with that"

Then, feeling unable to stop, I kept telling that story, even the not so enjoyable parts

"So when my brother went missing, my mum...let's just say she didn't take it well. I recalled those times she helped us with that soup, so the first thing I learned to cook, or brew for that matter, was that soup"

"To cheer her up?" 

"Exactly"

"Ahh...I see, so you're now doing the same for Penny by making this" Tonks was handling it better than I thought, she was invested in the tale herself

"I mean, it's pretty much my fault she got sick in the first place, it's the least I can do"

"Well, I think that is very sweet of you, Y/N. Let me know if you need help with anything"

"Now that you mention it, I might need your help to get into the potions classroom to prepare this thing" I motioned to the bag in my hands

The Hufflepuff grinned, nodding as an idea had already popped in her mind

"Perhaps I can test my fanged frisbee again. You know, without hitting you"

I laughed at this, admiring her enthusiasm. If that was her plan, I would allow it, as long as nobody would get hurt, of course

Nymphadora Tonks and I might not have been together for long, but we could coordinate without any problem when we had a common goal, so by the time we got back to Hogwarts, we already had a plan

Sneaking our way into the dungeons, stopping only for me to gather the ingredients I already had, Tonks and I took cover behind a wall. We nodded at each other and she put on her handler glove before picking up her fanged frisbee and walked towards the hall

She wound up and threw the frisbee as far as she could, catching the attention of the prefect immediately once he saw the device in the air and the pink-haired girl running away in another direction, it was now or never

The entrance to the classroom was empty, so I ran inside, placed the ingredients in a table and got to work. Chopping the vegetables, getting some water in the cauldron, all those things brought back the memories

Back to a simpler time, a time in which I was happy and I didn't know it, with Jacob, mum, and dad trying to make our way in the world...Oh how would give anything to see mum alive again...or getting to see dad again

 

...Or Jacob

 

...What the, when did it become so difficult to see? Bloody hell, I'm letting myself get carried away, focus, Y/N!

Think, what would Snape do in a situation like this? Oh! I got it

 

"Y/N, you incompetent fool, stop crying over my cauldron or I'll make you clean every single thing in this room for the rest of the year"

 

Yeah, that's more like it. Thanks, Professor Snape, maybe I'll-

 

"How's everything going, do you need any help?"

 

Needless to say, I was not expecting another voice in this room, especially when I'm not supposed to be there, so my reaction was what you would expect

"BLOODY HELL!!"

I nearly fell down thanks to this mysterious voice, who gasped when she saw this and helped me keep balance. When I looked back at her, I discovered that it was Chiara

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you like that!" She was clearly as startled as I was, but for both our sakes, I had to keep it quiet, or else this plan would fail

"It's alright, but what are you doing down here?"

"Tonks told me you were back from Hogsmeade, I thought you could use a hand to prepare this thing" She replied with that kind (still a bit scared) tone of hers

"Fine, I'm almost done with this anyway, please fetch me some bowls so we can bring this to Penny"

"On it" She went back and searched for the bowls, which were on the table as well, I came prepared so I brought them with me to avoid having to sneak into the kitchen as well

Once she had them in hand, and I confirmed the state of my soup, I concluded that it was time for the next phase of the plan

"Quick, let's get this to Penny. I'll bring the cauldron and you take the spoon and the bowls"

She did just as I asked and with a bit of effort from my part, I was able to carry the cauldron with me. Had to drink a potion to avoid getting myself burnt by holding it

Chiara made sure there was nobody watching before signaling me to follow her and so we did, sneaking out of the potions classroom and into the Hufflepuff dorms, which fortunately for us, were literally next door. We walked into the stairs, I was at first looking back at my partner in crime to make sure she was coming along

"Come on, time is of the..."

I stopped both talking and walking when I saw the last thing I hoped to find in the stairs: Penny Haywood herself, still sick and stumbling her way down, exposing herself like this, the girl could barely stand!

"Penny? What in the name of Peeves are you doing up!?" I whispered to her, in my best attempt not to raise the tone of my voice

"I...I can h-help..."

Was all she could say before losing her grip on the stairs, thus failing to stay still and now, she was about to crash into me...wait, what?

No second thought was given as the space to react was paper thin, I threw the cauldron to the side, soup included, and extended my arms, reaching out to catch a falling Haywood, it all happened so fast, the next thing I knew was that I was on the floor, with Penny in my arms and the broken cauldron on the floor

...So much for that plan

"Hey, PenPen, you alright?" I asked her in a mellow tone, only getting a slow nod from her as a reply

I sighed upon confirming her state, then I spotted Chiara with her hands on her mouth, eyes wide in shock. She tried her best to remain calm. I can't blame her for reacting like that, this was so sudden, guess I had the duels to thank for sharpening reflexes

"A-Are you alright? You fell down the stairs too, Y/N!" Despite the shock, Chiara too was trying her best not to scream, the broken cauldron was loud enough as it was

...wait, the cauldron

"I'm fine, please get her back to her bed while I repair this cauldron before someone else comes"

Following my example and regaining her composure, the silver-haired girl rushed in our aid, took Penny from my arms and helped her get up. Displaying care rivaling that of Madam Pomfrey, Chiara got Penny to walk back up the stairs, now it was up to me

"It came from over here" I heard an unknown voice say from the distance, it was now or never

Getting my wand out, I focused on the cauldron, the soup contained within it and sealed the spell with some of my own memories before a single word came from my mouth

" _Reparo_ "

As if it was in reverse, the cauldron pieced itself back together, with the soup getting back into it and recovering its warm state within seconds. I know it's as good as new, but now I'm not as confident in my soup

I still picked it up and as fast as I could without spilling it again, I got back up the stairs and put the cauldron on a table nearby before closing the door immediately after my arrival, fortunately, we didn't leave any clues as to what had happened...aside from a loud series of noises

I leaned against the door, sighing in relief, with my hands covering my face as I heard the voices retiring from the scene just as quickly as they approached it, a problem was avoided. Once that unpleasant surge of stress left my body, I was met with an appetizing smell, the soup 

"Y/N, over here!"

Without wasting any more time, I grabbed the cauldron and followed Chiara's voice. This place was much less populated, which was amazing for the plan, not a single soul to gossip about what I was doing there, for once

Shortly after, I entered the same room I first encountered Penny when she was sick, it was pleasant to find her back in bed and Chiara sitting on a chair next to it. She was still apologizing for leaving the blonde's side for as long as she did, but I told her it was no biggie

I mean, it was, but I was not going to call her out in front of Penny, especially in her state. I placed the cauldron on a nightstand nearby and asked Chiara to help our common friend drink a bit of water while I prepared a bowl of chicken soup

"Alright, Penny. I prepared something for you, this will definitely help you combat this flu. Be careful, though it's still hot"

I handed her the bowl, with a handkerchief under it to keep her from burning herself. At first, the young Haywood was surprised, she inspected the soup and smiled at me

She might not have been able to speak well at the moment, but that smile said so much in her absence, she was genuinely moved by this gesture and with the spoon handed to her by her fellow Hufflepuff, she gave the soup a try

I don't know why I found myself nervous when I saw this, it was like a chef waiting for the critic to review their latest masterpiece. The thing was, I'm hardly a chef, and I'm only giving soup to a...a very important person for me

That would explain why did I feel my heart flooding with joy, relief, and whatnot when I saw her reaction to the dish. She hummed in approval, her eyes were surprised by the taste

She loved it

"Wow, is it really that good?" I thought to myself, Chiara noticed this too and asked me if she could try some of it too

I agreed to it, that was the reason why I chose to use multiple bowls. As a Ravenclaw, I like to take precautions for everything, although I have to admit, sometimes it feels a little...unnecessary

A-Anyway, the girl served herself a bowl of soup and tasted it as well, the same reaction as Penny

"My goodness, Y/N, this tastes amazing!"

"But...it's just chicken soup" I stated, as confused as one could be

I mean, chicken soup was not known to be godly in taste, just for its effectiveness. While I was too busy with my own thoughts, Penny fetched a notebook and a quill, using magic to gather them closer, and she started writing, then she showed me what she wrote

"You should dedicate to making food like this!"

"I agree!" Chiara added and they shared a laugh

Honestly, I never found someone so amazed by this dish...well, aside from me, of course, but watching them, it felt...

This is what mum must have felt whenever Jacob and I enjoyed her soup

Hours passed and Penny seemed to be getting better by the minute, her ability to speak, while still recovering, was far better now, enough to fully articulate a sentence. We never left her side, even Tonks miraculously managed to sneak her way back into the room, I knew I could count on her

Together with the Hufflepuff ladies, we came up with so many things to do to help make Penny's day less boring and in fact, we played all kinds of games, from gobstones on top of the nightstand to a couple of quizzes of random things!

It was one of the best days I've ever spent, easily

With a world as wonderful and eventful as ours, it was so easy to forget the countless adventures one could have in their very room, as long as they're in the right company. And all it took was a snowball and butterbeer

So much fun that in fact, I didn't even notice the time, way past curfew and I was still in a house that was not my own. Filch would jump at the opportunity to punish me for something like this and now thanks to my own clumsiness, he could

Currently, I was alone with Penny, Tonks had sneaked out to pull some prank and Chiara left to feed the magical creatures she was supposed to take care of. When we were alone, we acted...different

What do I mean by this? Well, I was sitting on Penny's bed, with her resting her head on my lap. None of us seemed to mind this, not at all

Penny was quite comfortable with my visit, but when she caught me staring at the window, she soon realized the same thing as I did, changing the atmosphere of the room into that of worry, something I did not intend to do at all

"Do you really have to go?..."

She asked, voice weak but still cute enough to pull my heartstrings, a smile remained on my face, full of sympathy for that Hufflepuff girl who would never hear a no from me when asking for help

"I'm afraid so, it's past curfew"

Her gaze saddened, like a child that realizes that playtime is over, and now it was time to rest...wait, that gave me an idea

I leaned closer and with that same playful smile I showed whenever I was about to commit mischief, I whispered to her

"But that doesn't mean I can't do one last thing for you, though?"

"Like what?" Her eyes showed curiosity, intrigue

I chuckled and ran my hand through those golden locks of hers, much to her surprise

"Just trust me, this'll help you make it through the night"

Suddenly, the lights illuminating the room became weaker thanks to my wand, and soon enough, a gentle hum would leave my mouth

I started to hum a song for Penny, one that, like everything else I had done today, had a deeper meaning. This one was one of my personal favorites, from a decade long before I was born, yet I found the lyrics to be so special

 

But I never had a reason to sing it, until now, of course

 

" _Whenever it's early twilight_

_I watch 'til a star breaks through"  
_

 

I began to sing whilst looking at her, that purity in her eyes, full of wonder and curiosity gained a smile from me, without stopping my song

_"_ _Funny, it's not a star I see_

_t's always you"_

 

I could have sworn I saw her blush by this, yet, I kept going _,_ stroking her hair in an attempt to soothe her _  
_

 

_"Whenever I roam through roses_

_And lately I often do_

_Funny, it's not a rose I touch_

_It's always you"_

 

Immersing myself into this melody, I closed my eyes, looking away as those words left my lips, sang with gentle care. I could feel Penny relax against my touch, even leaning closer to get comfortable

 

_"If a breeze caresses me  
It's really you strolling by"_

_If I hear a melody_ _  
_

_It's merely the way you sigh"_

 

Tonks entered the scene, only to be silenced immediately by Chiara, who motioned her to be as quiet as possible, as they both peeked over to one particular room...

 

_"Wherever you are, you're near me_

_You dare me to be untrue  
_

_Funny, each time I fall in love..."_

 

I opened my eyes to look down at the beauty I had near me, her eyes closed in peaceful sleep, she earned one last smile from myself as I leaned closer to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead, making her smile without knowing _  
_

 

 _"...It's always you_ _"  
_

 


	4. Trouble (Tulip Karasu)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when a prank goes too far? When does it stop being funny?
> 
> When it messes with the heart

"It was a joke"

That's what we always say, when a plan doesn't turn out as we expect, when we want others to not blow a fuse at us

And just by saying it, the guilt usually washes away, it feels liberating, pleasant, and sometimes it even serves as inspiration for a better scheme

Not even once had I regretted a joke in my life, not a single one

But of course, Hogwarts had a particularly painful way to teach life lessons, I assume that this time, it was my turn

Along with Tonks, I was hiding, waiting for the victim of my next prank, the awful man we knew as Mr. Filch. He was going to be our victim for a new kind of stink bomb we bought from Zonko's

Needless to say, we were excited to see his reaction when he would open the door to his office, only to be sprayed with something so bad, he might as well stop working for a week. We heard footsteps coming our way, it was time for the bomb to do its part

I could almost taste victory

Almost

As I said, my lesson was painful, and it started the moment I discovered one small, yet incredibly important detail about the plan:

Mr. Filch wasn't alone

"Who's that with Filch?" Tonks asked while trying to peek, but I kept her back

"Wait, let me see" I moved from our hiding spot just enough to find who was it next to Filch

It was Y/N L/N

As my train of thought began to produce a multitude of possible scenarios, I felt my heart sink, my eyes go wide, even my skin feeling colder when I spotted them...but why?

It's not like Y/N L/N wasn't a victim of my pranks every now and then, they would even find them funny. But something about this special occasion felt...wrong

"Tulip? What do you see?" My friend made snap back to reality

I wasn't thinking straight, nor did I look back at Tonks when I began moving again

"Stay here, something's not right"

I stood up and began moving towards them, following my instinct without a clue as to what could possibly go wrong

When I saw them in front of the office, Filch opened the door, but then something about Y/N changed

They felt something, a hunch like mine, but instead of walking away, they moved the old man back, as if they were protecting him from something

The next thing I saw, was an explosion, an aggressive one being unleashed upon the scene. Y/N moved Filch out of the way, but at the price of exposing themselves at this

I could not believe my eyes, that was supposed to be a stink bomb, not bloody dynamite!

For a moment, I felt a knot in my throat, but my reaction at this was far stronger, and a single word left my lips as I started to run

"Y/N!!"

My spontaneous outburst gained the attention of many people present, Tonks and Filch included, both starting to realize what had just happened

I rushed to find Y/N on the ground, their robes were a mess, not up for another use, their skin had darkened, burnt and... Was that red on their collar?

I couldn't see their face as they were facing the cold, stone floor. Filch stood back up and shoved me out of the way, picking up my fallen friend

"You and I will talk, and you will pay"

He began to run away, with all his might towards the Hospital wing, yelling at everyone who dared stand in his way. Y/N was in his arms

And I...I just stood there, watching him leave, unable to just look away, or even acknowledge Tonks by my side, begging me to tell her what happened

Filch's words echoed throughout my mind. He was hardly known for kindness to someone outside his dreaded pet

But the way he looked at me and the tone he used, they were different, not the usual threat I had gotten used to

No...this was different

What...what had I just witnessed?

Y/N was successfully placed in the Hospital wing and their treatment began as soon as they arrived, but visiting them? That would be a devastating "no" from Madam Pomfrey herself, who knew I had done this just by looking at me

The rumors would eventually make it to my head of house, Professor Flitwick. He was just as shocked to learn what happened, something that could very well required discussion with Dumbledore himself

Tonks and my pet Dennis were investigating what had happened, nobody knew about her involvement but me, and I intended to keep it that way

Our friends were allowed to visit Y/N L/N, I could already feel their hatred for harming our best member

There so many things to worry about, from all sources and yet, I found myself unable to do anything. I was placed in detention, alone in an empty classroom while the staff decided what to do

The opportunity to escape was there, but what good would it do to me? I was probably the most talked about person at the moment, and not for a good reason

I couldn't even tell so much time had passed, I was still getting over the fact that my own prank nearly killed one of the most important people in my life!

I...I don't even know what to say, nor think

But there was someone who did, and I saw her right there, standing on the doorway. It was Merula

"Well well well, it seems that you finally betrayed L/N, it was only a matter of time"

Her voice had venom in it, but also pride. Normally, I wouldn't pay so much attention to her, but this time? I felt as vulnerable as it gets

"I-I don't know what happened, it wasn't supposed to be like that!"

My stumbling words sure were amusing to her. Merula entered the room and even leaned against the desk, her eyes fixed on me at all times

"Oh? And how was it supposed to happen, then?"

"It was just a stink bomb!"

"Well, that was clearly much more than stink"

I'm still theorizing what happened. Bilton Bilmes himself had sold us a perfectly normal bomb, we reviewed it's uses and limitations time and time again

...When did it go array?

"This is just precious, my least favourite cursed student, holding on to dear life in the hospital wing, all because of one little prank that was not thought through"

She smirked at me, proud of herself

"I almost feel bad for you, Karasu"

Finding my anger once again, I looked at Merula in the eyes, now was not the time for weakness, especially when I knew what to say

"You can't fool me, Merula. I can see it in your eyes that you didn't want this to happen either"

She was taken back by this. Truth to be told, Merula was not the hardest person to read, especially when you spent so much time at her side

I could tell there was more to her bravado and hurtful words. Over the years I've seen scheme against Y/N L/N, hoping to defeat them whenever it was possible

But when that wasn't the case, when they were together in a class or had to be a team for whatever reason, I saw them form some sort of respect for each other, not as many harmful intentions from Merula even more

I bet this... accident caught her by surprise as much as, well, everyone

And so, she dropped the act and even leaned closer to me, her hands on the same desk in front of me, glaring

"You're right... I warned them you'd betray them and they didn't listen. I tried to help and now look at this, you're still at Hogwarts while Y/N doesn't even know if they're going to wake up"

I stood from my seat, feeling myself not only angered but even hurt by this claim

"Merula, you know me. Do you seriously think I would do something like that to someone I care about?

"Yes"

The speed of her answer was disconcerting. I really thought Merula and I were working our way back up, how mistaken was I

"Why!?"

She rolled her eyes in frustration, I'm actually surprised she hasn't cast a spell out of pure anger

"Isn't it obvious? You're doing the same thing that you did to me, getting rid of the others so you can have all the vault's treasures to yourself!"

And now she was jumping to crazed conclusions. I would correct her if she wasn't so mad right now, taking would just fuel her rage and I'd like to think I know better than that

"I just came here to warn you, maybe Y/N is out of commission, but I'm still here, and I will not let you win"

She finally let go of the desk, taking a step back to let the heat of the "conversation" die a little. Still, what Merula was taking from all of this was that I hadn't changed and wanted all that corrupt power for myself

Truth is, the only thing I want at the moment is to talk to Y/N L/N, apologize to them

"You're no saint either, Merula"

She just sighed, realizing too that this conversation was becoming pointless, if it wasn't already. She just turned around and began walking away, but not without throwing one last stone

"At least I'm not guilty. Tell me, have you even visited L/N?"

"Have you?"

Answering a question like that felt right. Could help prove that Merula did not have the right of accusing me like that

However, she stopped when I asked this, looking over her shoulder to answer in a softer, tired voice, tired of this nonsense

"Contrary to what you think, I have"

Nothing else was said before she left. For the first time in our arguments, I don't think I won

I didn't get to enjoy my loneliness for long, I saw someone else entering the room. It was our prefect, Chester

When I saw him, the first thing that popped in my mind was asking him how Y/N L/N was doing, but I had to keep it together, at least until he said what he had to

"I got news for you, Tulip"

"Enlighten me" I couldn't look at him out of pure shame, yet I could feel him glaring

"The good thing is that they discovered what went wrong with your little prank"

Now he had my attention, my gaze turned to him right away, signal enough for him to continue

"The bomb you used seemed to be defective, it began spraying before it was even activated"

"But how? I checked it was in good condition before I brought it along!"

"Maybe it got damaged along the way"

...oh

"Anyway, the working theory is that the gas didn't mix well with Filch's confiscated fireworks, thus causing...what you saw"

"That still doesn't make much sense"

"It's what we got so far, but it's not the only thing I want to talk about"

He grabbed a chair nearby and sat in front of me, I had returned to my previous position, with my arms on the desk, acting as a cushion for my head

"I know Tonks was involved in it, but given her help with this, she'll only have points taken from her house as punishment"

"That's... actually relieving, thank you, Chester"

He nodded, but his mood did not show any signs of getting better

"As for you, they still don't know. The fact that it was truly an accident helped you significantly, but it is still the fact that you planted the prank there in the first place

"Right, wouldn't expect to go unscratched"

Chester saw me sink my head on the desk, his gaze softening by this. As if it wasn't obvious enough, knowing what would happen to me was not my priority

Silence overtook the conversation quickly as if I wasn't difficult to talk to already

"Tulip, I'm going to ask you something, how you answer will affect how much longer will you stay here"

I raised my gaze again, curious this time

"I'm listening"

"How do you feel, exactly?"

My first thought was to go with irony or cynicism, but Chester would have none of it, I guess I only had the truth

"I feel absolutely horrible, this wasn't supposed to go like this"

I don't know how many times have I said this, and I still haven't found what else to say in my defense

"If I recall correctly, this is the first time one of your pranks goes wrong here at Hogwarts, right?"

"Indeed"

"And yet, this isn't what's troubling you, but who you did it to"

...Was I seriously that easy to read right now?

A sigh preceded my answer, the burning feeling of guilt was obviously still fresh

"Out of all the people in this castle, Y/N L/N was the last one I wanted to get hurt"

"And why is that?"

Chester was asking too many questions, important ones. I suppose I was doing well in whatever test he was holding

"Because aside from the cursed vaults situation, they were willing to give me another chance at having a friend...a real one"

I corrected my posture, my back was once again on the chair as if my composure was slowly returning

"So when the accident happened, imagine how I felt, it was like if you hit your mum by accident with the broom she gave you"

"An odd example, but I get what you mean"

...I did not tell Chester the entire truth, there was more to my relationship with Y/N L/N that what I was willing to say to him

Not only was I grateful they were willing to be my friend, but I believe I...I've come to prefer their company over everyone else's

As in, I would love to spend an entire day with them alone

However, as much as I would love to share this with them, the best thing right now would be to keep it to myself

"Here's the deal, Tulip, I have to get back and assist with what I can, so I really am taking a risk by trusting you on this. If you can spend the next hour without causing any more mischief, I will let you go see Y/N in the hospital wing earlier"

I felt a sudden rush of energy coming right at me, and it was not a spell, but hope. I didn't say anything, but that eager nod from me was all the perfect needed

"Good. I'm counting on you to make things right"

Chester put the chair back where it was, left the room and the door remained open. He really was testing my spirit

But with a task like this, it was hardly a challenge for me. After what happened, the last thing I want to do right now was to pull another prank

I hated following the rules, but if I wanted to see Y/N, I would have to play by them. I guess they are worth that much

 

Besides, the only thing I had to do was spend an hour doing nothing, how hard could it be?

 

Sigh...

 

Way to go, Tulip, people always said you would end up hurting someone with those pranks of yours

And I mean, it's still not my fault...not entirely at least and...

 

...and I can't help but feel like I betrayed their trust with this act. It's not like Y/N knew I was there, but they definitely know I pulled the prank, it was obvious

And to think it was them who had to gain my trust first...

 

 

I'll never forget our conversation, eating together in the Great Hall after I asked them to meet me

 

It was surprisingly pleasant, so warm and caring. They were fully aware that I was "difficult to work with", but they didn't care, Y/N L/N was honest with me

They explained why they needed to find the cursed vaults, their brother, everything. They were willing to expose themselves just so I could see I could trust them

We faced a Boggart that took the form of Merula telling me that I would never make any friends here, my worst fear back then. Explaining it, remembering those awful things I did, reliving the experience led to me getting overwhelmed

That depression slowly crawling its way into my very heart

"She's right to hate me. She's right that I'll never have any friends because I don't deserve them"

I couldn't look at Y/N in the eye while I spoke. It was hard, but taking with them made me feel slightly more comfortable, just enough to keep talking about it

"I'm not afraid of Merula. I'm afraid of betraying anyone else who tries to be my friend..."

"Everyone makes mistakes, Tulip. I'm glad to be your friend"

Their voice was strong enough to demand the attention but soft enough to keep me in that welcoming environment.

I looked at them and found myself shocked by this, someone willing to give me an opportunity? Even after I told them what I did?

It took me a moment to understand this decision, my fears were threatening to come back, but Y/N L/N's presence kept them at bay

If they were willing to trust me like that, then I would make sure they wouldn't regret it

What a pair we were, confronting Boggarts and finding Vaults, even in situations of danger I could feel their trust, and I hope they could feel mine.

The deal with Y/N was the best one I could have done, they brought along their group of friends from all houses, a cause, a bond that was stronger than the divisions Hogwarts placed

...that same bond that ensures me that Y/N is not alone in the hospital wing, Rowan, Bill, Penny are there and...

...and I'm here, paying for this

I could be sure there would not be any more visits, at least for a while. I took out Y/N's Dungbomb necklace, the very same one I gave to them as thanks for such a wonderful time at the Celestial Ball

 

The company it provided me was bittersweet, bringing along so many memories, which only made it more painful to wait an entire hour to correct my mistake

 

 

I wish I could actually go back to that dance, with the starts, the laughter, the music...

 

 

 

 

The calm...

 

 

 

 

The joy...

 

 

 

 

 

"Tulip? It's me, Chester"

 

Ughh...what?

 

"Sorry I took so long, there was just so much to do and...are you crying?"

 

Who's that? And why do I feel so... light-headed?

 

"... Tulip?"

 

But something was not right, when did it get so dark?

 

No. Don't tell me I fell asleep in detention!

 

Reluctantly, I opened my eyes to find someone in front of me, upon adjusting my sight, I recognized him as Chester

"C-Chester? What happened?"

"We discovered something that pretty much keeps you from being expelled, and looking at it from the bright side, Ravenclaw now has a better chance to win the coup"

"What...what are you talking about?"

I sat straight once again, trying to gather my senses again, but when I was rubbing my eyes I felt something in my hand, the necklace

Every ounce of tiredness, depression, and loathing disappeared the moment I fully remembered what was going on and why was Chester in here. I looked at him, asking for permission without saying it

He smiled and nodded, I didn't even wait for whatever he had to say, but we both knew what the priorities were, or at least I did

Running like never before, I made the most use out of my legs and ran straight to the hospital wing

The halls were less occupied now, not empty, but easier to navigate, in fact, I could see Madam Pomfrey leaving the station to look for something, it was nor or never.

I reached the room, stopped at the door, sighing for what I was about to do. I waited all day for this moment and now that it was about to happen, it felt almost impossible to do

Come on, Tulip, get a hold of yourself! You owe this to them, to yourself!

And so I mustered the strength to proceed and opened the door to the hospital wing, my head didn't even wait for me to open the door completely, I was already peeking inside

"Y-Y/N? y/N L/N?" I asked the room, waiting for someone to answer me, but no response

I had a better look at the place. It was empty

"What? No..."

What happened? Was I too late? No, no, it couldn't be. I had to keep looking for them

Just when I was closing the door, I managed to spot something on the corner of my eye, a student sneaking away

Upon closer inspection, it was Rowan. If I'm honest, I never thought I'd be so happy to see her

"Rowan! Wait up!"

She froze once she heard my voice, I rushed to meet her, if someone knew where Y/N was, it had to be her

"Hello, Tulip"

Her greetings were shaky, nervous. She didn't even look at me

Normally, I would confront her about it, but then again...no time for that

"I need to find Y/N L/N. Please, if you know..."

"I'm sorry, Tulip. I know you have your heart in the right place, but you should really leave them to rest for the night"

Rowan picked up some bravery of her own, her voice sounding firm now, but even then I could tell she was torn between her act and the situation of our common friend

My usual act of confidence would not work this time, but luckily, Rowan was slightly more trustworthy than others

"Look, I don't blame you if you hate me right now, in fact, you'd be mad if you weren't, but believe me when I say that the only thing I want right now is to apologize to Y/N, at least so they could hear it from the person that put them in this situation...please..."

There was silence after that, Rowan still refused to face me, but I saw her use a quill on a small notebook with a sigh leaving her lips shortly after

"I'm counting on you to do the right thing, Tulip"

She handed me a piece of paper, taking her leave before I could even thank her. Guess I still had a lot of explaining to do

But, some other time

I looked at the small note I was given, only one word was written in it, but that was all I needed

 

Courtyard

 

My breath left me as soon as I stopped running, no time wasted after that note. Now, I found myself in the courtyard

The sky was decorated with countless stars, just as the celestial ball was back then

There was a single figure in that place, a single person sitting near the fountain, with their attention fixed in the sky

When they saw me at the doors, they did the last thing I thought they would

They smiled at me

No charm would ever hope to impact me that hard as that heartwarming gesture of theirs, but it feels as if...as if I didn't deserve it

"Tulip, you look tired. Come take a seat"

That was the first invitation I had to relax in a day as chaotic as this, and it would not go to waste

But of course, that was easier said than done. I found it incredibly difficult to approach Y/N without breaking down in front of them

Yet somehow, I managed to sit beside them

"I-It's so good to see you're alright. I-I thought-"

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Just what exactly did they mean by that? A-And how can they be so calm!?

"... Excuse me?"

"The quiet night, the crisp air, it puts your trouble into perspective, doesn't it?"

"I-I'm sorry, but I thought you wanted to talk about...well...you know"

I didn't mean to be rude, not by any means. It's just that after such a long day, I would love nothing more than just a normal conversation

Y/N looked away from the stars for once and straight to my eyes. I-I don't know if that helps either

"Yes, I've heard what happened"

Judging by the way they said that, I was hoping with all my heart they wouldn't drop bad news to me, that I made my worst fear true by betraying their trust, even if it wasn't the plan at all

I tried to make one last effort to keep that from happening, but in my current state, words were not easy

"I-I can explain it. T-The bomb! Yes, it was not supposed to do that, and when you walked in I was so confused a-and I--"

I felt myself rambling nonsense in a disastrous attempt to clear my name, but something happened that stopped me in my tracks harder than immobulus would ever do

But then, I was met with a sudden embrace, the tender hug of Y/N. Their charm was working, my thoughts were slowly reorganizing themselves, but the strongest one prevailed and I finally had enough of it

I snapped

I dug my head on their shoulder, sobbing and with tears menacingly coming down my face. I just couldn't take it anymore

"I don't deserve this..."

"Tulip Karasu, stop being so harsh on yourself. I'm fine"

I broke the hug to look at them, still acting according to the heart's commands

"B-But I nearly killed you!!"

My outburst gained no reaction from them, none

"I heard plenty of rumours, some against you, and some in your favour"

Y/N discretely cupped my face, cleaning the tears from one of my eyes with their thumb. Their hand, so soft and gentle, it brought along an overwhelming feeling of security, safeness...

"I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen"

"You do?..."

"Of course, even if it was a prank, it was meant to be just that, a prank"

Every word threatened to rip the fear and sadness out of my soul, and it was working

"Besides, I also heard how you accepted the entire punishment even though you weren't all that guilty"

"Yes, I thought I'd lost you..."

A chuckle came from them, it was confusing, to say the least. The moonlight shining upon us reminded me of something, the whole thing with the "night and crisp air" Y/N was talking about

"So...what were you saying earlier?"

They seemed to understand what I meant, a smile so small formed on their face as if they had remembered something

"Yes, coming here is quite helpful when it comes to taking important decisions. A wise man once recommended me to do it"

"Is it working?"

"That's what you're here for"

Now Y/N sounded just as enigmatic as Dumbledore himself. Did they know I wouldn't find them? Or that Rowan would help me?... Did Rowan even know?

I had so many questions, but hearing Y/N speak again made me put them aside

"As I've said. I heard plenty of things about this accident, both equally as interesting. There were quite a lot of suggestions coming from all sides regarding what I should do with you, Tulip"

...W-Who knew Y/N L/N could be so serious?

I certainly didn't, and it was terrifying. Their words made me think of my fears again, what if he cut out friendship right there? I wouldn't know what to do!

My train of thought was interrupted when I felt a hand on top of mine, thus making me look at Y/N who was yet again, smiling

"The answer, to me, is to forgive you"

I didn't know what to say, it felt like I had been declared the best witch in the history of magic or something similar. I know I called Y/N's decision making mysterious, but I'm couldn't be more grateful for it this time

"But...why?"

"I told you. Yes, you caused it, but not on purpose, and even then you accepted to play by the rules, exactly the opposite of what you would usually do... just for me"

They squeezed my hand, a gesture I noticed in seconds, but not something I was against, not in the slightest

"You managed to outweigh the bad, Tulip. You had enough punishment, in my opinion"

This time, it was me the one who went for an unexpected hug, but they were much quicker to hug back. As for me, I just couldn't be happier

"Thank you, Y/N L/N..."

I don't know what I did to deserve someone like them in my life, but I wouldn't have it any other way

Of course, there was still a lot to answer for, and Dumbledore's own word regarding the issue. It was a long road ahead for redemption

And even though it would get a lot of time to gain back my friends' trust, I was not worried, for I had the only opinion that mattered to me

 

Y/N's


	5. Doodles and scribbles (Penny Haywood)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penny is indirectly tasked with guarding YN's journal, and not even curiosity would get her to read it... right?

It was a nice day in Hogwarts, felt like any other, with not many troubles to go around, well, there was that rumour about magical creatures running around in castle grounds, but I haven't seen any

Currently, I was on my way to the potions classroom to get to the lesson of the day, when just around the corner, I bumped into someone in particular

It was Y/N L/N, the charming student I've dubbed "the star of Hogwarts", for more reasons than the obvious ones

But there was something wrong about their appearance, their clothes were slightly tattered, messed with, and they had cuts on their hands and even one on their left cheek

"Merlin's beard, Y/N! What happened to you?"

They didn't even stop to look at me, instead, they gave me an answer while running away, in a hurry to complete something, it would seem

"No time to explain, going to help Hagrid, talk to you later!"

... alright then

I would obviously have to investigate just what was going on, but later, I still had a class to attend, and my favourite, nonetheless

Just as I was about to take my leave, however, I spotted something in the ground, a small notebook, no, more like a journal. It had witnessed the progress of time, but it was well kept, for the most part. Curiosity got the better of me and I chose to pick it up

It was so intriguing, there was no name of  who the owner might be, but upon inspecting the notes written here, I was able to recognize the author just fine

This was Y/N's journal, they must've dropped it when they ran away. Funny, I didn't even know they had one, but given everything that they have experienced here, it was logical they needed something to help them cope with bitterness or tragedy

I... guess I would have to keep it safe with me until I see them again, Y/N did seem to be in quite a hurry anyway

Without further due, I went ahead and took my class to continue with the day

At first, everything was alright, the potion we had to brew was quite easy for me, so easy that I had plenty of time to spare once I finished mine and got points for my house for that

...and now I found myself bored

Perhaps it was the routine or lack of any deadly threat lurking around, but I couldn't find myself enjoying this class as much as I usually did

And it was there that one of my demons manifested itself, the overwhelming sense of curiosity, not staying down no matter how hard I tried to drown its voice

It was aching to see what secrets lied within the pages of the journal I had just found. Normally I wouldn't care about a journal that much, just for the sake of gossip

But this was Y/N L/N, a person so vast that you might feel like you know them well enough to write a biography, only for yet another astonishing fact to pop up just a couple of seconds later

Of course, I wanted to know their opinion on so many things, and who knows? Maybe I'll find my answers there and--

No, no, what kind of friend would I be if I snooped through their personal notes?

It was a battle of wills going on in both my mind and heart, my eyes going back and forth between the journal pocketed in my robes and the class itself

I mean...Y/N has made it quite clear that they trust me with their life, literally sometimes. I don't think they'd mind if I take just a quick peek at it

...right?

Just when I was starting to express curiosity, I found myself already holding the journal, and even worse, opening it. Forgive me, Y/N

My eyes glued to its contents,  the journal transported me to another time just seconds after starting to read it. The first page had the same date as the day we first stepped into Hogwarts itself! They must've bought it to write down their experiences in this school

Can't blame them for that, Hogwarts does promise an endless supply of adventures, both death-defying and normal ones

I sighed, finally putting my curiosity to rest as I began reading the first entry

 

_September 1st, 1984_

_This is it, the day I finally get to study in Hogwarts! I can hardly keep my hand from shaking, the emotion is overwhelming!_

_The entire day was quite magical, auntie Jane took me to eat the most delicious breakfast I've had in months, dad even sent me a letter congratulating me for being enrolled_

_It would be much better if he had shown up to say it, but I understand his work keeps him from even leaving_

_But then again, I was not the only one excited for this, he and auntie bought me_   
_this journal to write all my adventures in that school_

_So I better write the best of the best in this!_

_This is the day I've waited years for, to visit the school where my parents studied, and get to make my own adventure_

_Just you wait, Jacob, I'm on my way!_

-

 

...The entry concludes here

I...I honestly didn't know how I feel about this. On one hand, it was cute to see how excited Y/N was, the page contained so much raw emotion, almost like a child, and it was so cute

On the other hand, however, I can't help but feel terribly sorry their experience, seeing as it turned out much more sour than what they were expecting, especially under so many promises of happiness

It brings up the question, how does Y/N manage to maintain that hopeful, cheerful attitude after all of this? Maybe I could ask them...

"Class dismissed"

Professor Snape's unmistakable voice wrecked my train of thought, no way I would stay reading something as personal as this in this classroom. I was on Snape's good side, but I doubt he would trust me  _that_  much

I gathered my things and left for the library, a place actually intended for reading. I was so immersed in my own thoughts about this entry, that I barely even noticed the people around me

This was astounding, the first entry of this journal and I already learned something big!

But it does make sense, Y/N has never been one to bring up the family during a conversation, but this? This deals exactly with it, I can't stop now

Giving it no second thought, I made my way to the library and sat immediately to continue reading, opening the journal once again, and hopefully, with fewer interruptions other than Snape's ominous voice

The next entries where much shorter, but certainly numerous, mainly dealing with Y/n's experience with their respective house, their prefect helping them dealing with Merula and the consequent duel with her, that  ended up being how we met

Hey, there's a small entry on me as well!

 

_ September 15th, 1984 _

_Just after my duel with Merula, I was summoned to discuss what happened, but along the way, I was stopped by the most popular girl in school, Penny Haywood!_

_I have to say, her reputation does precede her, only five minutes of chatting with her and I already liked her_.   _Who knows? Maybe I'll get a chance to talk to her after dealing with the vault that keeps cursing the school_

 

-

 

...Well, we certainly got to talk again, and I even got to help Y/N break the curse of the ice plaguing Hogwarts. I have to admit it, I was a bit nervous when I first chose to approach them, but it's nice to see how well they took it!

The feeling of understanding Y/N like this was like being taught how to brew your first potion, a feeling so strong, or at least in my case, unforgettable

I mean, not even when we ate lunch together did I get them to talk so much about themselves

My, so much learning, so many different ways to see things, people and even the events from the perspective of the one student who got to deal with it first hand!

Out of the corner of my eyes, I spotted Rowan Khana, Y/N's best friend and local book lover, but also, a friend of mine. They brought along a huge book and sat next to me

"Hello, Penny! How are you today?"

Unlike with Snape, I was able to gather my thoughts quickly enough for it to look natural, and so I greeted Rowan with the usual "Haywood" charisma

"Hello Rowan, I'm fine, what is that you have there?" I asked using the book as an obvious distraction, but also, out of curiosity

"Oh, I'm studying a little earlier for our O.W.Ls, you can never be too prepared"

My friend stated proudly, but then I saw them stare at the little book in my hands. Oh no

"Is that?..."

I got nervous immediately after I saw how shocked Rowan was by this, meaning this journal must be as important to Y/N as I thought. However, in order to keep us both from being kicked out of the library, I tried my best to keep my voice down

"I-I can explain it, it fell from Y/N's pocket a-and I...well...-" Smooth, Penny, real smooth

Rowan made a gesture that caught me off guard even more, a smirk. They threw their hands up in surrender and kept a cool demeanor

"...I believe you will take care of it for Y/N, just don't abuse its contents, alright?"

By Merlin, for a moment I genuinely thought there was going to be trouble because of this, but clearly, Rowan knew me better than that

"Of course! Thank you, Rowan, I owe you one"

They just smiled back at me and took the book they needed, then they wrote something on a piece of paper and passed it to me before standing up and leaving. I looked at the note, found myself surprised by what it said

" _You might want to check page 47, though_ "

This behavior from them told me Rowan knew so much more about either the journal or Y/N that I didn't, and maybe they wanted me to discover it for myself

...Who am I to decline a challenge, then?

There were plenty of other entries after that, mainly detailing Y/n's dealings with the cursed vault of ice, the way it was written could put many novelists to shame, although there were some things that were best kept in the dark

Y/N had always been a busy student, it worries me a bit just how little time do they have to themselves, just today I saw them run away as if they were in a hurry to help someone

Oh Y/N, I wish you would take care of yourself as much as you do for us...

As I kept reading, I decided to leave the library and fetch me a couple of sandwiches from the great hall, especially since it was getting late. I would most definitely look up the page Rowan suggested next

So far, my favourite entry of the journal had to be the Christmas one. Y/N didn't say much that day, but their happiness spoke volumes to me

However, what is written here, it somehow manages to topple that. In it, they remark how grateful they are for having us as friends,  but most importantly, gives me details about why they were so sad in the first place

Apparently, Y/N's mum died just a couple years before his brother disappeared, and his father's work at the ministry keeps him far too busy to spend time with his own children

That leaves Y/N themselves with their aunt Jane, with whom they spent a vast majority of the time, and seems that she is actually nice, but had to stay over with some relatives in America, hence why Y/N staid at the castle with us

I'm just glad Y/N has someone else looking out for them outside Hogwarts

The journal's pages were so inviting, I sat alone to eat lunch for the first time ever, wishing to have only the book's company. I was going to follow Rowan's advice and head towards page 47 of the journal, didn't know they had numbers

But then, among its contents, I found something else, a mention to me in a lonely page, with much less ink in it than the others, yet structured so differently, it was a must-read

_October 11th, 1987_

_I helped Talbot get back his necklace after a wholesome adventure, who knew he was so, well,_ _**alive** _ _. Among one of our stops was the library, where I learned that he likes to write poetry, but of course, denied me the right to read his work_

_Can't blame him for that_

_Instead, he actually convinced me into writing some poetry for myself, I got Rowan to help me study the structure and rhymes, I have_ nothing _but respect for poets, now..._

_Anyway, I wanted to try and write something of my own, and I'm supposed to follow a feeling, perhaps think about something that inspires me, or someone for that regard so... I'm going to use this crush of mine as a muse_

 

_Here goes nothing..._

- _Haywood-_

  
_Her locks of gold_

_And a spirit so bold_

_I could stay a while_

_Just watching that smile_

_And it would never get old_

_Flawless in her potions_

_A girl of pure emotions_

_She calls me a star_

_But she's better by far_

_A reason for my heart's commotions_

 

-

 

The...the entry concludes here, it seems that it is a work in progress but... I think just two stanzas were all it took to make me blush like a tomato, I could feel my face get warmer because of it. Y/N says It's not perfect, but I don't think I've ever read anything so wonderful before...

I've never had someone write something so beautiful for me either, but now ...I...I don't think I I would have it any other way

Oh, how I'd love to take this with me, perhaps I could write a copy, or...Did I just hear my stomach rumbling?

My, I came here to read and eat, but so far I had only done one of the two. Perhaps I could get myself a couple of sandwiches before resuming this, wouldn't want to stain the pages and  give myself away

I stood up and walked to get some food, whilst helping my mind off from such a...beautiful piece of work. I mean, it said so much about how Y/N sees me and I, honestly, couldn't find myself more flattered by it

Heh, so this is how being speechless feels like

With food on my plate, I returned to the table I was using, but as soon as I did, I felt my heart sink down, my eyes go wide, and I almost dropped my food as well because as it turns out...

...the journal was gone

Who could be so vile to take advantage of my flustered state and steal something so valuable just like that?!

Focus, Penny, Rowan trusted you with Y/N's own journal without giving it a second thought,  it's time to prove why

I approached one of my fellow Hufflepuffs, I tapped his shoulder to get his attention

"Yes, Penny?"

"Excuse me, did you happen to see someone take the journal that was over there?"

He looked at the place I pointed at, then started to recall recent events with a 'hmm' for a couple of seconds and finally, he looked at me with an answer

"I think I saw a pale Slytherin girl take it, she might be leaving, though"

I thanked him for his help and then turned my attention to the entrance of the great hall and saw one particular girl leaving it, I could recognize her from afar. Ismelda

No time wasted, I ran out of the great hall to catch up with her, and by the time I did, she was already halfway through the halls

"Ismelda, give it back!"

My voice made her stop to look at me, that mischievous smile only confirmed her as guilty

"What are you talking about?"

"This is really not the time for this"

My serious tone only fed her amusement

"Oh, my, I'm so scared"

 _Sigh_...

"Look, if you want this precious diary, then you'll have to read it out loud in the gre--"

" _Immobulous_ "

Ismelda didn't even finish her sentence before I cast the spell, there was absolutely no way I would do this to Y/N, and I sincerely wasn't in the mood to play games like that

So I walked up to her and took the journal from her hands, stored it and began to walk away

"The spell shouldn't last long, don't worry"

And with that, I left the scene

While that encounter was short-lived, it was still a mistake from my part, I believe that the best thing should be to deliver this to Rowan, in case they see Y/N before me

While I stored the journal in my robes, I felt a small piece of paper, I took it out and saw that it was the one Rowan gave me

And also the reminder that I hadn't checked that specific page

Perhaps I could check one last entry before I return the book...

To avoid any trouble, I headed to one of the corridors, one of the least frequented by students and teachers, perfect for some alone reading

I opened the journal carefully and without disturbing the pages, I located page 47 of it, but what I found was much different from what I was expecting

...well, I didn't even find anything

Strange, why would Rowan want me to check this in particular?

Wait, there was something in here, a date, but not just any date, but the date of the celestial ball!

How did Y/N manage to find time to write something? They spent most of the day helping me with the decorations!

Now that I think about it, I hope I wasn't too harsh on them

Returning to the page, there was a date here, and a blank page that Rowan wanted me to check out, but what if it wasn't empty?

What if, perhaps, it was hidden?

Taking out my wand, I pointed it at the page and calmly chanted

" _Revelio_ "

Slowly, the contents of the page were becoming visible, but these were not words

No, it was a drawing

It detailed two people dancing with grace, joy, without a care in the world

One of them was wearing a dress made for twirling, and the other never looked so perfect

This was us

The traces were so delicate, yet so lively, nothing but pure happiness was emanating from this picture

Well, I did find another emotion in this drawing, it was love

Under the drawing, a brief note was written with the same passion

 

" _Thank you for giving me the happiest night of my life_ "  
  
  
  


 

 

 

Y/N's POV, the next day

I was on my way to the artifacts room to meet Penny, maybe she wanted to know what even happened to me during the entire day

Truth to be told, I was helping Hagrid and professor Kettleburn with some magical creatures that escaped into the castle

Needless to say, the Hippogriff didn't go down without a few scratches and cuts, but it came to trust me enough to give me a ride on its back

Was it worth it? I think so, yes

Madam Pomfrey said my arm should be good as new for tomorrow, so no major problems there

I opened the door for the artifact room and saw Penny alone, holding...my journal?

So there it was...

"How is that arm coming along?" She asked in that motherly tone of hers

"Should be good for tomorrow"

She smiled at this, but then her expression turned a bit nervous when she continued the conversation

"You... you  dropped this yesterday, but I didn't have the chance to return it to you"

She handed it over to me, avoiding eye contact with me

"Did you read it?"

Penny's blue eyes became riddled with shame and remorse as a sigh left her lips

"I did, sorry..."

A hand placed on her shoulder made her look at me, surprised

"It's fine, I was going to let you see it anyway"

She was taken back by this, only gaining a smile from me. Her reactions were too cute sometimes

"Y-You were?"

I nodded while maintaining the smile

"Yes, I recall you being so curious about me, and I don't know if you noticed, but I don't do a good job at it, so I thought lending you the journal would do a better job"

She sighed in relief, a smile creeping it's way back to her face, then she saw my tired expression and gave me a look of sympathy

"We should talk later, for now, just get some rest, okay?"

"I'll do my best" I joked, making her giggle

"Thank you, Y/N, I mean it"

Her tone sounded more serious, but before I could answer, Penny leaned closer to me and gave me a peck on the cheek

Needless to say, now I was the shocked one, my face was surely as red as it could, not to mention warm

She pulled back and smiled at me, not saying a word before she left the room, leaving me alone

Instinctively, I put my hand on that same cheek, I just couldn't believe what just happened

N-Not that I didn't like it, but because perhaps, I liked it too much

And all because of this journal

I wonder, did she leave a note or something whilst reading it?

I opened the journal and started searching through the pages. So far everything was as it should, no signs of tampering

...until I got to that special page of mine

Not only was the drawing visible, but there was also a note below mine, written by someone with far more delicate penmanship than mine

The message read:  
  
  


" _No, thank_ _you_ _for making me the happiest witch in the world~_ "

 


	6. Who said it first? (Tulip Karasu)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N and Tulip had become close, perhaps too close, yet none of them seem to be doing anything about it
> 
> Their friends believe it is about time to change that

Hogwarts was home to countless wonders, from its seemingly endless corridors and halls to its collection of moving portraits and ghosts, this place always gave something to talk about

One great example was the library, house of a vast array of books with the knowledge to help the students in so many different ways. Truly a place for the curious

The person in charge of it, however, was anything but helpful, willing to keep the students out forever if given the opportunity

This woman's temper made her a controversial figure among the community, but in some particular cases, made her the perfect target for pranks

 

And this was no exception

Madam Pince picked up a couple of books and shelved them with no problem, but by the time she got back, there were four more in her desk, waiting to be placed as well

"What? When did-" She was taken back by this, swearing that there were just two books in there before

Eventually, she sighed and picked up the other books and went back to her task

And when she returned, slightly annoyed, she found that this time, there were about eight more books

"Who is responsible for this? Show yourself!" Her temper, as short as ever

She looked around at the possible culprit for this, her eyes quickly spotting a certain pink-haired student reading something

"Miss Tonks, stop this at once!" Her order startled the girl, who was actually just reading

"Stop what?" She stopped her reading to look at the librarian

"This childish prank of yours!" Pince pointed at the stack of books already piling themselves in her desk

"I don't even know how that's happening, I'm just studying"

"That's true, Miss Pince, I'm helping her study for a test" Another voice joined the conversation, it was Rowan Khanna

When she saw Rowan speak for the prankster, Pince couldn't help but trust the student's words, and the fact that none of them showed signs of being lying only made it more frustrating for Pince

"...Fine, but if you spot the culprit, do tell me"

While Rowan and Tonks may not have been the ones causing the disorder, they certainly knew who was behind it, piling up to thirty books right now from a safe distance not to be detected

It was none other than Tulip Karasu, accompanied by Y/N L/N, two of the school's greatest pranksters

Without getting any answers, Madam Pince sighed before reluctantly heading back to her desk only to find the astounding amount of books in her desk, or whatever could still be seen of it anyway

To make things worse for her, some of these books were even in a different language

The woman gasped when she processed the gravity of what was done and proceeded to openly threaten the responsible by banning them from ever entering the library if she was to catch them again

Both Rowan and Tonks couldn't help but be amused by the scene of the librarian getting some of that frustration that she gives students without any remorse

 

But if there was something that they found even better, was the sight of Y/N having genuine fun with Tulip, perhaps so much that Y/N themselves didn't notice that their hand and Tulip's were touching when they crouched to avoid detection

The reason for this being so important to their friends was because Y/N had spent years working so hard to balance their search for the Cursed Vaults, friendships and scholar chores at the same time

As complicated as it was, the curse breaker always managed to be there when their friends needed it, so seeing Y/N having fun was much rewarding for them as well

 

When lunchtime came, the group of friends that Y/N had assembled during their stay at Hogwarts liked to hang out and enjoy their short recess before going back to class

The first ones to arrive were Tonks, Rowan, Tulip, and Y/N. While Tulip and Tonks were talking, Rowan and her best friend served themselves, but Y/N was carrying another plate with them

When they got back to the table with the group, Y/N gave Tulip the other plate, now with a couple of sandwiches

Her eyes lit up when she saw the plate, she then looked at them showing a grateful smile

"Why thank you, Y/N L/N. I really appreciate it" She said kindly while taking the plate

The curse breaker nodded before sitting next to her

"Wotcher, Y/N! You even got her favorite food and everything" Tonks joked from across the table

While Tonks' statement could lead to a lot of different places, Y/N shrugged it off with a simple, yet logical answer

"Guess I've spent a lot of time with you guys to know that kind of stuff"

"Y/N's not wrong. We do spend a lot of time together" Tulip talked for them, gaining a grin from Tonks herself

"Of course, especially you two" Her grin became wide, and Y/N's face became warmer as soon as they understood where she was going with it, but Tulip was the one to shrug it off this time

"Well, there is a lot of planning to do, both the vaults and the pranks"

While Y/N L/N wasn't one for pranks, they would never turn down one of the girl's invitations for mischief, especially if they helped plan it

"If you say so" Tonks said with the same amusement, clearly not believing a word her friend said

However, before the conversation could lead to disaster, Rowan spotted someone else approaching the table

The rest of the group joined them for a meal in the Great Hall, something that was appreciated dearly, but even then, Y/N remained close to the redhead

 

In fact, she would be the one to close the distance between them, under the justification of making room for the others, something that would make sense for everyone

Yet for some reason, it felt special to Jacob's sibling, and Tulip herself would reinforce that idea

 

It was quite intriguing, when Y/N first met Tulip, it was to gain access to their brother's special room, but it didn't take long for those two to form a bond beyond that of the investigation, and their daily interactions served as a witness of that

So much that sometimes, it would come to Y/N's attention that they might enjoy her company a bit  _too_  much. However, just the thought of discussing it resulted so terrifying, it might as well become their new Boggart

Y/N was quick to stop that train of thought to enjoy the company of their friends, something that they hadn't been able to because of the obvious quests

And sure enough, that time went by fairly quickly, and now they had a couple more classes before calling it a day.

A routine like that could come up as tiresome, but with friends like the gang and Hogwarts being the endless supply of adventures and knowledge that it was, dull was far from the truth

While Charms, the first class in the agenda, was nothing short of enlightening, Y/N found Transfiguration much better... mainly because they shared that class with Tulip as well

Professor McGonagall was reviewing what had been learned so far and asked everyone to split in pairs. Rowan was asked by a struggling student to be her partner, and Y/N naturally chose Tulip to be theirs

 

However, the pair did everything but actually study, as random chatter was something they both excelled at, especially when the topic that was tasked to review was "easy"

So easy that on fact, McGonagall herself noticed their chatter and decided to test Y/N's knowledge of the subject

"Y/N L/N?" Her calm, but firm tone got their attention immediately

"Yes, professor?"

"Please answer this question, what is the contrary of banishing?"

They knew the answer, it was right there, but the talk with Tulip scrambled a few bits of knowledge, particularly the one needed at the moment

However, when the student placed a hand on their chin, they spotted something written on it, it said "summoning"

"Summoning?" Y/N thought out loud

"Correct, let's continue with the class, shall we?" She smiled at the answer, before looking away

The professor was quick to dismiss the issue while the curse breaker, on the other hand, was surprised about what had just happened. Not knowing how to react, they looked at their redheaded companion, who in turn had a quill in her hand

"Did you...?"

Confused, Y/N mumbled half a sentence, expecting her to understand what they meant, and she did

However, instead of answering, Tulip winked at them, a smirk making its appearance soon enough

 

That was all the confirmation needed

 

They couldn't help but grin and acting out of instinct, Y/N held her waist to bring her closer to them into somewhat of a side hug

"Thank you, red"

Tulip giggled because of her "friend's" actions but didn't pull back from the embrace. None of them seemed to think much of it despite the obvious nature of the gesture, so they soon returned their attention to the class

This time, the pair did study their incantations, particularly the banishing spell, just to be safe. It took about twenty minutes and sorting goblets and mice apart, but the class eventually came to an end

"Don't forget to practice your animal-to-object transfigurations, we shall review them next time. Class dismissed"

And with that, the school day had effectively concluded, which was odd because it didn't feel like it, but it wasn't clear if it was because of the dynamic of the classes, or the company

When it was over, Rowan joined Y/N and Tulip as the students walked out of the classroom, planning on what to do for the rest of the day

"What's next for you, Y/N L/N?"

Tulip stopped walking after a couple of steps to ask the student

"I've got a study session with Rowan" Y/N motioned at their best friend, also present in the conversation

When Tulip looked at Rowan, she nodded in confirmation

"And you?"

"Tonks invited me to Hogsmeade, she wants to see Zonko's new stock"

"See you tomorrow, then?" Y/N asked with hope hidden in that question

The redhead smiled fondly at this and nodded

"Of course"

Tulip leaned closer to give Y/N a quick hug before waving goodbye to Rowan and walking up the stairs to continue with her own agenda. Of course, it was quite amusing spending time with her, but it was just as important for each of them to keep their own plans

Or so did Y/N thought while staring at the stairs that had just been used

"Don't be afraid, Y/N, Tulip won't be away for long" Rowan stated whilst chuckling at her best friend's behavior

"What... what do you mean?" They asked without even looking at her

Rowan continued chuckling as she put a hand on Y/N's shoulder, now making them look at her

"I'll explain it to you later, but now..."

She picked up a book from the bunch she was holding and handed it to them

 

"We have some exams to study for"

 

 

 

Eagerly making her way upstairs and out of the school, a certain redhead proceeded to meet with her friend her and sometimes partner in crime, Tonks. When she spotted her, Tonks eagerly raised her voice to greet her

"There you are! I was afraid you weren't going to show up"

"And miss what Zonko's has in store? No way"

They shared a laugh and finally, they began their walk to the station, to board the train that would take them to the village Hogwarts' students loved to visit

The change in scenery was greatly appreciated, the inside of the train provided warmth and the view that the windows provided was nothing short of breathtaking

It was certainly relaxing, and Tonks used that in her favor to go ahead and address what she considered to be the erumpent in the room

"So..."

Her voice made Tulip look away from the window and back to her companion, who was thinking of what to say next

"So...?" Tulip was intrigued by where Tonks was going but showed her that smile of hers

"How are things going with Y/N?"

And just like that, the small wall of confidence that Tulip built came crashing down. Her eyes went wide and even her face adopted a light red color to it

"What is that supposed to mean? We're fine"

Her answer only gave her friend a bigger reason to continue this conversation

"C' mon Tulip, you two are wasting your time by not asking each other out!"

"I don't know, Tonks, most of our talks are about the cursed vaults"

While Tulip tried to be logical about it, talking about her feelings was not her strong suit, and Tonks knew it all too well

"Are they really?"

The redhead looked away from her just to think about the many topics she had talked about with the curse breaker, finding the answer shortly after

"...No"

She sighed, knowing it was only a matter of time before this topic was brought up, and she had been avoiding it for a reason

Then, a comforting hand was placed on her shoulder, making her look at Tonks in front of her

"Hey, I know it's difficult for you to talk about it, but you can always trust me, alright? I won't judge"

Tulip was unsure about her next action but chose to follow her instinct. If there was someone to discuss something like  _that_ , it might as well be Tulip's own best friend

"And I appreciate it, it's just that..."

A sigh followed that, it was expected due to the nature of what she was about to reveal

"Making friends is not my strong suit, another reason why I greatly appreciate being in the group that we are right now, vaults and everything"

She followed that declaration with a smile for Tonks, as a way to tell that she genuinely liked being around the gang, but that same smile soon faded when she spoke again

"H-However, when I'm with Y/N, it feels... different"

"Like warm and cozy?" Her friend tried to aid her by completing the thought

"Exactly, and I know what these feelings are, but...I don't know if Y/N feels the same, I mean, we have a brilliant time together, but what if I'm just a dear friend for them? O-Or if I ruin the friendship by telling them how I feel?"

Tulip was beginning to feel overwhelmed, but managed to stop before that train of thought led her to despair

"Oh, Tulip..."

Her eyes were facing down as she couldn't bring herself to look at her companion

"You have no idea, do you?" Tonks' voice softened when she said that, gaining her friend's attention once again

"I'm still new at this, so no"

This made the prankster chuckle, clearly, she knew much more than what she was letting in

"Y/N is charming by nature, they care about all of us, there's no doubt about it"

Tulip listened closely to her friend's words, in hopes that she would provide the answers she so desperately needed to get rid of her doubts

"However, the way they behave around you, it's so kind and loving, even I can see that they see you much more than what you two are right now"

There was weight to those words, and the redhead felt it, but she couldn't get rid of her insecurities completely

"How can you be so sure?"

This time, Tonks let out an actual laugh, making Tulip wonder if it was really that obvious, or if she had been ignoring something important

"Tulip, have you even noticed how they treat you? Especially when there's nobody around?"

Her words echoed throughout her mind, and her memories took her to their shared activities of that very same day

Like how Y/N memorized what her favorite meal was, and brought it to her without even her asking for it

Or how much fun was Tulip having with them when they were tricking Madam Pince, the sound of their laughter

And even more recently, the tender hug Y/N gave to her, holding her with much care

The deeper her memories went, the more evidence she found to make a pattern

It was all there

Feeling like she had just discovered the key to immortality, a breathless Tulip looked at her friend in awe

"... You're right"

Seeing her aware of her predicament gave Tonks a sudden rush of happiness, she raised her fists and cheered for her progress

"About time you saw it!"

Her excitement brought a smile to Tulip's own face, Tonks had the energy of a child sometimes

"Alright alright, sit down or you're going to break a window again"

Recalling her past incident while aboard the train, she sat down immediately, still with the same energy

"Right, sorry"

The redhead placed a hand on her chin

"So, what do I do now?"

Before the pink-haired girl could answer, the train stopped, indicating that it had arrived at Hogsmeade

"Well, you tell Y/N how you feel" She answered casually while getting up

"What!? Have you gone mad!?"

Tulip looked like her friend had asked her to throw herself to a cliff, and in a way, it felt like that

However, her behavior only gained a couple laughs from her friend, who managed to remain calm

And if Tonks was the calm one, she clearly knew what she was doing... mostly

"Calm down, I'm going to talk you through it"

She offered her hand to get up, and Tulip reluctantly took it, now both walking out to continue their journey without pausing the conversation

"What do you mean? Are you going to be there or something?"

" No, no, that wouldn't end well for any of us" Tonks laughed it off, imagining the disaster it could cause

"Then what can I do?"

They stopped briefly to get off the train, then Tonks wrapped an arm around the redhead's shoulders

"Here, let me remind you why two make such a great couple and don't really have anything to worry about"

 

 

 

Back at Hogwarts' Common rooms, masterfully using the space of one of the dorms and surrounded by books, were two particular students. These two were the duo of Y/N L/N and Rowan Khanna.

Both showed signs of fatigue, but none of them were actually stressed, in fact, they were smiling

"Dare I say, this has been one of the most productive study sessions we've had"

Y/N proudly stated while stretching their arms before picking up the books

"I know! We managed to cover three years worth of potions class in about three hours!"

Rowan added, closing the last book that was used. She then looked at her friend and gave her the book

"Brilliant work with those recapitulations, by the way"

Y/N grabbed the item and put it in its place, along with the books that had been employed for their study

"Oh that's nothing, your key words helped carry the ideas through! Talk about teamwork"

They shared a laugh at this. Studying was something that not many found entertaining, regardless of the topic (magic or not) but when it came to Y/N, it was mostly a challenge to their abilities

And for Rowan, well, the joy of teaching and learning at the same time was all she needed

Currently, they were cleaning up the unintentional mess they did when studying, but it was understandable considering the number of topics covered

However, when listening to her friend's words, something popped up in Rowan's mind, something that quickly took priority

"Talk about teamwork indeed..." She mumbled

"What was that?" Asked Y/N without losing their smile

This "issue" that had caught Rowan's attention only continued to torment her mind, mainly because she feared her best friend's reaction to being asked about it

But then again, this was also the perfect opportunity to do it

"Hey Y/N, I've been meaning to ask you something, a-and It's completely understandable if you don't want to answer" While Rowan tried her best to not sound as nervous, it was still noticeable

The curse breaker got up and gave her a sympathetic smile

"You're my best friend, I trust you"

Rowan found this gesture heartwarming, it made her freeze for a moment before a reluctant sigh left her lips as she ultimately proceeded

"What are your feelings in regards to the, umm..."

"The what?"

Rowan looked away with squinted eyes, already regretting the half-made question

"The  _Tulip_  situation"

 

There it was, the question had been made

Rowan felt an unpleasant rush coursing through her very soul, and as she prepared for the worst, she kept her eyes closed

 

...But instead, she heard laughter

 

"Guess it was a matter of time before you asked"

Y/N said, but there was no hint of anger, nervousness, nothing like that

"Yes, I do fancy Tulip, no we are not dating, why? Well... That's what you want to know, right?

Taken off guard by it, Rowan opened her eyes to see her friend smiling at her,  almost unfazed by the question, or at least trying their best

"S-So you're alright with the question?"

"It's hardly my favourite topic of discussion, but as I said, I trust you"

Y/N sat on the edge of a bed and tapped a spot next to them, asking for Rowan to join them, which she did after she regained her composure

"Truth to be told, Rowan, I'm afraid"

The student felt her eyebrows raised on their own after hearing such thing from the famous hero of Hogwarts

"What could you possibly be afraid of?"

"Well, Tulip is brilliant, cunning, mischievous, flirtatious, charming and I could go on about it and I'm well...me"

"I don't understand"

"I feel like we're so different, maybe I'm...maybe I'm not her type, you know?"

That reason didn't resonate with the young girl, not one bit, and she had all the evidence she needed to prove her own point, and Y/N being her best friend, she had every reason to speak

"But Y/N, you're the perfect team!"

The curse breaker smiled at this, yet their smile was weaker than before

"Oh, you don't mean that"

"Except that I do! You and I are great together, but you and Tulip? I've seen you pull astonishing feats without even saying a word to each other!"

This solid statement not only took Y/N by surprise but also provided them with some insight as to what their activities with Tulip might mean for them

If there was someone willing to clear Y/N's confusion, it had to be Rowan, so listening to her was the least they could do

"Well...we did pull those pranks with ease..."

Glad to see Y/N opening up, Rowan chose to push with more facts she had gathered just by hanging out with them

"Exactly! And you say she likes to flirt? Well, tell me  _one_  person you had seen her flirt with that is not you"

Y/N's eyes went wide by this sudden display by her part, finding Rowan to be as invested in the topic as Y/N themselves

"Just one?" They gained an eager nod from the student

"That's all you need"

The young curse breaker began to think about it, reviewing Tulip's interactions with the other students, but that's when it came to them:

Tulip had not once flirted with someone else

"Precisely" Rowan added

It felt like if she was reading them like an open book, probably due to Y/N's own reactions being too obvious not to notice

"See? Tulip is quite clear when she doesn't like to be around someone, and out of all of us, it's you who she allows to pet or even hug her. Why do you think it's that?"

Connecting all the dots, Y/N came to a conclusion so wild, maybe even too far-fetched to be true

...Or maybe it was exactly what was going on

 

"Because she fancies me?..."

A shocked Y/N finally realized as breathless words left their lips, the same words that made Rowan jump with excitement

"EXACTLY!" Rowan was practically shouting at this point, luckily there was nobody around

"But...What should I do now?" They looked at their best friend looking for an answer as if she knew everything in the entirety of the universe

And while that was hardly the case, an answer was still provided

"You have to tell her how you feel, Y/N, the sooner, the better for both of you"

"You're right!"

Y/N then rushed to grab a notebook and a quill before they consulted Rowan once again, aching for help

"Any bright ideas?"

"Hold on, I have some in here"

Excitedly, she searched for a special book and looking through the pages, she began mentioning various tips. Both of them were more than excited to discuss the topic, perhaps even more than they were about potions

"Well, you could always bring a gift, but knowing Tulip, I would suggest something subtle"

Y/N wrote it down as Rowan flipped the pages and found another piece of advice

"You should do it at a time when you're certain nobody is watching, but still try to make it memorable"

"How so?"

They stopped writing briefly to look at their friend, who thought of the many options Hogwarts had to offer

"You could always try to do it in a place where you can see the moon, it makes for a better atmosphere"

"So no hallways or cursed corridors, got it...what about the training grounds?"

Rowan thought about the idea for a couple of seconds and then nodded

"When there's nobody falling from a broom there, it's actually quite peaceful, great idea!"

"You're the one who's bringing together this plan" Y/N stated while chuckling, still processing what was even happening

And then, a clearer mind made for a fairly obvious question finally being brought

"No offense, but since when did you became such a romantic?"

Y/N asked their friend with genuine curiosity, earning a giggle from Rowan before she pulled out a book that was in fact, a romantic novel

"I did say I read just about anything, didn't I?"

Laughter came from both of them this time. As far-fetched as it was that Rowan was basing her advice entirely from a novel, it made some sense

Or at least enough for Y/N to agree with it, and the ideas they had written made for a decent plan

"So, what are you going to do?" Rowan asked with the same excitement she had when they were about to enter a cursed vault

"I'll send Tulip a letter asking her to meet  me at the training grounds, midnight, perhaps"

While Y/N said this somewhat casually, Rowan was not expecting them to go begin the plan so soon

"What, tonight?"

"Yeah, I think it's best, before my own nerves get the best of me anyway"

"Fair enough, I think the training grounds are actually quite calm...when there's nobody falling off their broom, of course"

"Indeed, and I think Tulip will appreciate the lack of people spreading rumours"

While planning, Y/N's eyes had that same spark they had whenever they believed to be closer to unravel the mystery of the vaults, but unlike that scenario, Y/N wasn't openly risking their life

They got up and with the notebook in hand, they opened the door

"I'm going to get ready for the plan, I'll see you tomorrow"

They said while walking out the door, they were so excited they didn't even wait for an answer from Rowan, who was just smiling at the outcome of her question

"Oh, and Rowan?" Y/N peaked once again from the door, asking for their best friend's attention

"Yes?"

"Thank you, I mean it" Their voice sound softer, only made better by the smile on their face

And Rowan soon adopted a similar smile as she couldn't help but feel proud of her friend

"Anytime, Y/N"

 

With that said, the plan was set in motion, the young curse breaker began to prepare themselves, from what to say to what they should wear

It was almost like the Celestial Ball, but much more practical

Time went by, Y/N met at a couple of their friends for one last meal before going back to the common room

... Except, of course, their night didn't end there

The cole of the night soon fell upon the school, the students all headed back to their dorms to sleep, and only Mr. Filch and his dreaded pet were roaming the place

But then, a carefully written paper plane flew out the door and into the halls, hoping that it would reach its destination safely

But the thing was, there was not just one plane, but two, each written by a different person, yet both contained the same message

 

" _See you at the training grounds_ "

 

Of course, none of the senders were expecting to receive a letter as well, so when they did, no time was wasted

Sneaking their way downstairs and past the hall, Y/N was met with a starry night, barely any clouds and a moon that served as the crown in the sky

And bellow it all, in the middle of the lonely field, was a single person, one whose smile became brighter the moment she spotted them

"Y/N L/N, I received your note"

This answer gained a smirk from Y/N themselves as they held the note Tulip wrote for them

"Right back at you, Tulip"

A brief laugh was shared between them after realizing such coincidence

"Bold move, a meeting in the middle of the night, it must be important" She stated with her usual smirk

"It is, and I thought you'd appreciate the privacy"

"Indeed, and it's a pleasure to gaze at the stars every now and then"

They smiled at each other for a moment, and just as silence was starting to take over, Tulip chose to ask the first thing that came to her mind

"So, how was your day?"

"Great, Rowan and I managed to summarize three years worth of potions in just a few hours!"

Y/N was clearly proud of this, and Tulip, while impressed, smiled fondly at how cute it looked

"Is that so? Then I know who will I study with for my OWLs"

"What about you, found anything interesting at Zonko's?"

Just the memory of shopping at the joke store brought a smile to the redhead's face

"Absolutely, I'd love to tell you what we have planned for Filch"

However, along with the memories, was that talk she had with Tonks, the very reason why she was there in the first place

"...But that's not why I called you here for"

Y/N noticed the sudden change in her attitude and couldn't help but worry at this

"Tulip, is everything alright?"

She didn't mean for them to worry, but saying the words, those three words in particular was...

Difficult, to say the least

"Yes, it's just that..." She mumbled but didn't finish her sentence

Tulip looked away from the curse breaker, but when she did, she discovered something

A certain someone who was supposed to be stored in her pocket to boost her confidence, turned out to not be there

Almost immediately, Tulip's eyes went wide with shock, and she began to look around frantically

"Dennis, he's not in my pocket!"

Watching her lose her composure got the student in an alarmed state as well

"Are you sure?"

She nodded without looking away from the grass as her search began. Y/N cast Lumos and was quick to assign roles, Tulip would look to the right, while they searched the left side of the field

Normally, one wouldn't make such an issue of out a pet, but having spent as much time with Tulip, as they had, Y/N understood just how important was this toad

The redhead didn't seem to have any luck finding her pet on her side of the field, so she rushed to Y/N's side to help the research

She was freaking out, but in order to keep her calm, Y/N held her hand, something that helped ease the tension just enough

It took about six minutes, but they finally managed to spot something leaping its way across the other side of the field

"Dennis!" Tulip shouted at it, making the toad stop on its tracks

The teenagers rushed to pick up the frog, Tulip let out a content sigh and held her pet close, before scolding it

"Don't you ever go missing on me again, got it?"

She got a "croak" as an answer, what else could be expected from it?

"Thanks again for helping me find Dennis, Y/N L/N"

Before they could answer, a small drop of water fell down, and another, and another until the pattern was too big to go unnoticed

The pair didn't think it twice and searched for refuge in the castle itself

Y/N guided Tulip back inside, this time, Dennis was with them. Once they were inside the castle, just a couple steps away from the rain, they regained their breath

It was then that Y/N noticed something that set their skin into a much warmer state, they were even getting red just to discover

They never actually let go of Tulip's hand

"Oh, s-sorry about that!"

The curse breaker tried their best to hide the embarrassment, and Tulip soon realized what they meant. This was the perfect time to address the Erumpent in the room

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about"

She sounded much more confident this time as if she was done running from the issue

"It's just that, I don't know if I'm strong enough to say it..." Despite her newly found strength, a sigh left her lips

Y/N saw this, and thought about what they had to say, and seeing how much they hated to see a troubled Tulip, they came up with a solution to both problems

So they put a hand on her shoulder to gain her attention and gave Tulip a smile to help her ease things yet again

"I'll tell you what, seeing that we both have something important to say, why not say it at the same time?"

She gave them a sad smile, even now she appreciated the small details

"I accept"

Y/N nodded in confirmation before they stepped back slightly

"On the count of three"

 

"3" Tulip started

 

"2" Y/N clenched their fiat out of nervousness

 

"1..."

Just after that, two voices made themselves present, both making a declaration

Much like their planes, both had a different owner, yet the same message, and this time, it was a three-word sentence

Something short, but so powerful

 

" I fancy you"

 

The rain did nothing to silence the words, yet, there was nothing but silence after they were said

Y/N and Tulip stared at each other in complete surprise by their shared declaration

All their fears, their obstacles, insecurities...all gone just like that

The young curse breaker was the first one to act, without breaking eye contact

They took a step closer and gently ran their fingers through Tulip's red, soft hair, stopping to cup her face.

She leaned closer to their touch at first, then placed her hand on top of theirs, closing her eyes as a tender smile finally appeared  
  


"...I knew you had a thing for me"

Y/N laughed at this sudden comment from her. Even now she was trying to make them laugh

"And why didn't you said something sooner?" They asked with a smirk

Tulip then placed her hands on the student's shoulders, confident of her actions

"Perhaps I was just waiting for you"

In response to this, Y/N pulled her closer by holding her waist, adopting a smirk of their own

"Wait no more, then"

Acting out of instinct and being so close to each other, they leaned in for a price they both had been craving for, a kiss born out of pure love  
  


At this point, and lovingly placed in each other's embrace, there was nothing there but them, and nothing else in the world mattered right now

Not the rain, not the time...  
  


...Not even the two people watching from afar and melting out of joy from witnessing this act that, in a way, was their doing

"So...who won?" Asked the one with pink hair, barely able to hold her excitement

"I don't know, t-they pretty much said it a the same time"

Answered the other one, adjusting her glasses so she could continue to witness the scene

"So..."  
  
  


"I guess it's a tie?"

 


End file.
